Rules Are Meant to Be Broken
Page 25
as gently as he could.
“Okay, Chris. But be forewarned, very soon you guys are
going to spil your guts and tel me everything I want to
know. I’m not stupid, and if you won’t tel me my mind is
going to jump to al the wrong conclusions. Today I’l let it
slide, but when I ask again I expect to be told the damn
truth.”
“Great.” Michael sat up, knowing ful wel his sister meant
every word she said. Gypsy could be a pain in the arse
when it came to finding out what she wanted to know. She
would let them al relax and then she would bombard them
with questions until they caved and told her everything.
Michal carded his fingers through his hair and said, “If
you’re over your bad mood, let’s go out and watch a
movie.”
Back in the lounge room Christian got Gypsy settled as
comfortably as he could and kissed her cheek before going
to make popcorn. He was glad when he met the others in
the kitchen. “I was thinking that now we no longer have to be
creatures of the night. This was one more step to regaining
our humanity,” he said to the room at large as placed the
bag of popcorn into the microwave.
“We can go hunting during the day,” Doyle handed him a
bowl. “What do you think it wil be like? Who do you think
should try it first?”
Kerr joined in the conversation as he poured out some
drinks. “I reckon since Doyle discovered this new power, he
should be the one to try it first.” Everyone agreed and
Christian decided to wait until Michael wanted to go out
and try it. Michael said that he wouldn’t go out until after
Gypsy had gone home. Carrying the bowl, Christian happily
headed back into the lounge room to watch movies with
Gypsy while Michael sat off to the side talking quietly with
Kerr.
§ § § §
Hours later, Michael sat in the sunroom and listened as
Kerr explained how strange it was being out in the daylight
together, even more so because they were invisible. When
two or more were invisible at the same time then they could
stil kind of see each other. Honestly, Michael couldn’t wait
to try it for himself.
“I don’t know how to real y explain it.” Kerr shook his
head in what Michael guessed was wonder. “You’l have to
experience it for yourselves. We’re solid, so people can stil
touch us, but we don’t cast shadows. To each other we
seem to be almost transparent. Fricken weirdest thing I
have ever seen.”
“What, like a ghost?” Michael asked as he tried to
picture it al in his head.
Staring, out the front window Michael knew Charm was
sitting out there, yet he stil couldn’t see her. Even after
seeing it with his own eyes he was finding it hard to believe.
Sitting there talking to Kerr, Michael realised how over the
past three months Kerr had gone from being an enemy to
being a brother and role model to him. Michael stil had his
dad, but he could talk about much more with Kerr
concerning what was happening to him now. The whole
vampire thing was sometimes very confusing. He had tried
talking to Doyle, but stil got the feeling Doyle was always
trying to avoid him.
“When Gypsy goes home you’l be able to go out and try
it,” Kerr sniggered. “Christian wil love it; you know what a
big kid he is.”
Kerr’s gaze drifted to the window for a moment before
he resumed talking. “How’s it going between you two?
Charm’s worried Chris wil leave again.”
“We’re good. It’s real y good.” Michael nodded. “Being
together feels right. He won’t leave unless you and Doyle try
and force him.”
Narrowing his eyes, Kerr frowned, and Michael thought
maybe Kerr was also a little worried this was al going to
blow up again at some stage. Especial y if Gypsy ever
found out what Christian had done to him, or what they
real y were; superheroes and vampires were at opposite
ends of the spectrum.
“So have you real y forgiven him for turning you?” Kerr
asked.
“I love him,” was al Michael could say. It was simple, but
it was the truth. His gaze shifted to where Christian was
lying on the floor with Gypsy sitting behind him. They were
watching the movie 10 Things I Hate About You . Christian
was focused on the screen while Gypsy massaged his
head. It looked funny because Christian was feeding her
popcorn like she was a trained seal, though most of it
ended up on the floor. He was just thankful his human family
had accepted Christian so easily, and Christian had been
wil ing to be part of it.
Doyle sat not far away on the couch watching them, or
more to the point watching him. Michael blushed under the
intensity before Doyle averted his gaze. Michael studied
Doyle for a tad longer, then turned his attention back to
Kerr. Kerr sat there quiet for a moment. “What if the dreams
are right about the creator? What if he real y is intent on
kil ing you?”
Leaning in closer, Michael explained briefly his theory on
the creator’s limitations where destruction was concerned.
“So you see, I don’t think he can.” He also explained how
he believed Christian would never be capable of being the
cause of his death. “I think it’s why the first time Christian
and I… the first night we kissed, when Sebastian sent me
the dream tel ing me who sired me… He wanted me to get
angry at Chris. He wanted me to push Chris away.” They
both spoke in whispers so Gypsy couldn’t hear what they
were saying.
Kerr queried, “You don’t think he wanted you to form
such a close bond?”
Shaking his head, Michael tried to explain, “It’s like
Charm says: you would do anything for the one you love. He
doesn’t want us to love each other because love is the
strongest bond there is. It’s even more powerful than what
is between the creator and al the children he sired. I think
this is what he’s afraid of. Now his creations can bond to
someone, pul ing them one step farther away from him.”
As Michael studied Kerr’s face, he contemplated tel ing
him his other theory. It was something he hadn’t even told to
Christian yet. Mainly because he hadn’t quite worked it al
out in his own mind.
“I have another theory,” Michael said slowly.
“I’m listening.”
“I don’t think any of you, except maybe for Chris, are his
creations.”
Kerr’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t say
anything, obviously waiting or Michael to explain further.
“I think it’s why we have these little spurts of insight into
him through our dreams. I don’t think he realises we can do
that. I don’t believe Christian sired any of you either,” he
added as Kerr seemed to consider what he said.
This is something to worry
about, Michael thought. This
would mean there might be others of their kind out there
somewhere. If there were, he wondered how they fared.
And why they hadn’t run across any before.
His thoughts came back to the present conversation
when Kerr spoke. “This is becoming more complicated as
the days go on.” Kerr sighed, “I suppose it’s lucky you
brought him home then.”
“I think I would have done it anyway. Bring him back, I
mean. I don’t seem to be able to function too wel when
we’re not together,” Michael said honestly. It was like he
breathed easier when Christian was near.
“Kerr, how did you guys come to live in this particular
house?” Michael asked.
“This is where I woke up. No one was here, so I never
left. I found Christian two months later. He knew me for what
I was and he just got up off the wal where he was sitting
and fol owed me home. It seemed right for him to stay here
as wel . Not long after, we found Charm. She said she had
been waiting for us. When we found her, she was sitting on
a bench near the pond in the park. She even told us we
were late and cuffed us both up the back of the head. Bit of
a shock, real y. I haven’t thought about our beginnings in a
long time,” he said with a laugh.
“Doyle turned up on the doorstep not much later. It was
almost like we just gravitated toward each other. Then a
year and a bit later we al started dreaming about you and it
seemed strange because you were stil human.”
He stared at Michael for the longest time and it made
him a little uncomfortable.
“We watched you for a long time. It was hard because
we didn’t know if or when you would ever turn, but nothing
ever happened and it seemed maybe we had been wrong.
Then one night I got a cal from Doyle, who crossed paths
with you while he was out. He caught your scent and knew
you had been changed. It shocked the hel out of us, but
nowhere near as much as it did when we found out it was
Christian who turned you.”
“Can I ask why you treat Christian like a child? Why did
you never want to let him go out on his own?”
Glancing toward Christian, Kerr spoke. “Because in the
beginning, when we first met he was different. He seemed
confused about his change in mortality, he couldn’t
remember huge parts of his life, and he had a fascination
for everything human, especial y you. When we first started
watching you, it was as though a switch was flicked on in
his brain. He just talked about you nonstop. It drove us al
bloody insane. Then when we gave up on you ever turning,
it was as if the switch was flicked back. It was as if you’d
never even existed. It’s one of the reasons it shocked us al
when we were in the hal , because he claimed never to
have seen you before, but we al knew he had. It just didn’t
make sense. Real y it stil doesn’t, how could he not
remember you?”
Kerr scratched his jaw, then continued. “I suppose some
of it makes sense, seeing as you two are now…” he trailed
off.
Taking his time before talking, Michael tried to think of
how to say what he wanted to know. “If you always travel ed
in pairs then how did he…?”
“How did he turn you?” Kerr inquired then shrugged his
shoulder. “Can’t you remember how he took you? I mean
now you know he did. Can’t you remember under what
circumstances? If we knew how it happened we might be
able to work out a few more things in this puzzle.”
Closing his eyes and leaning back into his chair, Michael
thought for a while about his last human day. “The last thing
I remember is walking to the shop because Gypsy wanted
milk. We had a huge fight over it and I had gone down to
get her some. I don’t remember ever going home again. I
remember leaving the shop. I remember that it was drizzling
rain and then…nothing. But it was daylight. Just after ten in
the morning, I think.”
“So Chris has already been out in the sunlight? How
strange. I wonder why he never told us about this
phenomenon. Maybe you were right about what you said
that night in the hal .”
Michael tried to remember everything of what had been
said that night. “Which bit?”
“About him wanting you. What if subconsciously he never
truly forgot about you at al ? Like I said, in the beginning
you were in his every thought. He hated having to come
home during the day and he was always the first one ready
to go out of a night.”
This new insight into Christian disturbed him slightly. It
seemed he was only just beginning to scratch the surface of
who Christian real y was.
“Wel , he got me.” Michael threw his hands in the air.
Caught up in the conversation as he was, Michael was
startled at the sound of knocking on the front door. “Sounds
as if your mother has come for Gypsy.”
Turning in his seat, Michael looked toward the door.
Hopeful y Charm wouldn’t do anything that might scare his
mother. This having a family was new to them al . He looked
at Gypsy, as if warning her about not tel ing their mother
what she had witnessed.
Gypsy jumped up to open the door.
“What’s the matter, Mum?” Michael asked worriedly, he
took in the distress on her face. She seemed to be in a
great hurry to grab Gypsy and run. It was obvious she was
extremely angry. Something was definitely wrong,
especial y when Christian reached for her and she cringed
away from his touch.
“Peg?”
“Stay away from me.” Grabbing both Gypsy and Michael
she backed slowly toward the door, not even al owing them
to get their belongings. “You need to stay away from my
family.” Reaching into her pocket she threw folded pieces
of paper onto the floor. “I know what you are!” She
screamed at him in anger slapping him hard across the
face before turning to flee. This wasn’t supposed to
happen.
Gypsy stared at Michael helplessly, alarmed and upset,
as they were being dragged from the house by their
mother.
Digging his feet in, Michael pul ed his arm from his
mother’s hand, “Mum, I’m not going. I belong here.” His
voice trembled as her eyes widened in shock. “I need to
stay here with Chris.”
“You don’t know what he is. You need to come home
where you are safe.”
“This is my home now.”
His mother’s eyes fil ed with tears. “Then you know what
he is?”
“Yes Mum, I do.”
“Are you?” her voice hesitated.
Michael didn’t or couldn’t answer and his mother’s eyes
widened in disbelief.
“You’re lying.”
“Mum, why would I lie?” Michael took a step toward her
but she pushed him away. In that second he thought he
scared of him. Silently, he watched as she backed Gypsy
closer to the door.
When Gypsy tried to fight their mother, their mother
whirled around and slapped Gypsy across the face, tel ing
her to shut up and just stop. Never seeing their mother act
this way before, Gypsy was at a loss. She cried out
Michael’s name as their mother hit her again and pushed
her from the house
“Mikey!” Gypsy screaming out his name was the last
thing he heard. He was too stunned to even fol ow them and
try and make his mother see some kind of sense. This
couldn’t be happening. Damn it, he couldn’t be losing them
al over again. The fear in his mother broke his heart.
With trembling hands, Michael walked back into the
lounge room and picked up the pieces of paper off the
floor. It was almost too much to open the sheets of what he
now saw were old newspaper clippings. There was more
than one. It seemed his mother had been busy. The
clippings were al stories seeming to revolve around this
house and strange disappearances. There were three of
them spanning more than a century, each of them as
accompanied by a photo, and in each photo one person
was clearly visible.
“Christian!”
More than Michael’s hands shook uncontrol ably as Kerr
took the clippings from him. Then Michael’s eyes met those
of Christian who had come to stand beside him. Why was it
whenever he felt they were on track, something came to
screw it up? Michael didn’t resist as Christian reached for
him. He needed the comfort of being wrapped within
Christian’s arms.
They watched as Kerr went back to sit at the table. Al
three stories seemed to revolve around strange
disappearances which had occurred in the vicinity. “Do you
have a theory on this one?” Kerr asked without taking his
eyes off the clippings.
Walking over, Doyle leant in to read the clippings over
Kerr’s shoulder. His intake of breath was audible to al .
“Why is it when something weird happens Christian
seems to be involved? Just how old are you?” Doyle asked
quietly.
“I don’t know! I don’t remember any of this.” Christian
gestured to the faded scraps of paper.
“Did you create us?” Kerr asked.
It was Charm who answered; no one had noticed her