Vampires suck (11)

FABIAN

Fan-fucking-tastic. Wait, maybe I should hypnotize her into not coming. Scratch that. What is wrong with me? Only had the special vampire powers for a couple of minutes and I’m already thinking of using them all the time – now I know how politicians feel. But I can’t use them on Laila. It wouldn’t be fair. Besides, she’d snap right out of it just to annoy the hell out of me.

So that’s how a few hours later Laila and I drove off in my car towards the address Gabriel had given me.

“You know, you seem awfully quiet.” Laila was looking outside the window while speaking cautiously.

“You think?” I rolled my eyes at her. Which she couldn’t see having her face turned away, but still, it made me feel better.

“Are you worried about me tagging along? Don’t be, you’ll see…”

“I’ll see what? How you’re such a wonder woman and I was blind to it all this time? Don’t think so, Laila. I’ll tell you what I’ll see – YOU making my life already more complicated than it is.” And then I slammed the engine-wheel hard. Yep, get it all out, boy. I turned my head towards her. She hadn’t even twitched.

“FYI…” she started.

“FYI?” Huh?

“For your information! Would you let me speak already? So, for your information, I was going to say that you’ll see how Gabriel will act more… civil if I’m there too.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “You think he’d be polite just because I brought a human girl with me? Ha, you’re really something.”

“As a matter of fact, I do think so. He’s too much of a lady’s man.” That was true.

“So this was your intention from the beginning?”

“That and – I’m bored and enjoy being surrounded by dangerous and hot vampires.” I was just about to yell at her again when I heard her giggling. Oh, great, a joke. “Fabian.”

“What is it now?”

“There’s something else bothering you, isn’t it?”

“No.”

“I knew it!”, she jumped in her seat, “there is something bothering you! You’re acting way too cool. What is it?”

“You really shouldn’t take so many liberties around a vamp. Stop acting stupid.”

“I’m not stupid, but you’re not just any vamp, we already…” but her voice was lost and replaced with an awkward silence. Ah, the memory of me drinking her blood. We hadn’t discussed it. I’d actually hoped she would forget about it when she passed out.

“I can hypnotize people.”

“HUH?” Discussion-about-previous-blood-sucking-and-maybe-more avoided. “Seriously?” But I didn’t get to answer her question. A huge warehouse was coming into view just a few feet away.

LAILA

Talk about creepy. Now that’s a Horror movie stereotype – the warehouse. What can I say, I expected more of Gabriel.

The two of us got out of the car without hurrying. To say we weren’t eager to see the spoiled prince again was an understatement. But you can’t put things on hold forever. So we knocked on the metal door and soon enough a red-haired boy, who looked fifteen or so, opened the door.

“C’mon in” he gestured us. God, he was cute, freckles and everything. Plus, he had the advantage of his years. The boy smiled and I saw he was wearing braces. Good for him, thinking of his future apparel. “I’m Payne”, he then said in a calm voice.

“Huh?” I uttered. “You’re in pain?” He just blinked at me several times.

“His name is Payne”, Fabian whispered in my ear. Oh. Well, it’s not my fault his parents were mentally challenged when they named their baby-boy.

“Follow me, the others are already here.” Payne was guiding us towards an empty hall. The others? Fabian and I looked at each other. Friends of Gabriel – oh, this wasn’t going to be pleasant.

“Don’t be alarmed, human.” Payne spoke as he was walking with his back turned to us. Don’t be alarmed? Yeah, sure, tell that to the mice that got caught in the trap. But wait, what did he just call me?

“Human?” Was I slow this day or what? Payne turned around to face me. Fabian instantly acted as my shield. Even with my path blocked, I could still hear a low hiss coming from Payne’s lips. Cute innocent little boy, my ass.

“Why bring an ignorant one with you?” he asked Fabian. Was he talking about me? That fucking –...

FABIAN

... – brat. I was towering over him by a good few inches and yet he still showed no respect. As I recall, vampire protocol was a bit more strict than this. And I did sense power coming from the vampire in front of me, so that was not a new-born mistake. Now that I thought about it, his clothes seemed out of place – or should I say, out of century? Another old geezer like Gabriel? Great, just great.

“Back off. Or else.” This came out as a growl although I hadn’t intended it to. My muscles started pulsing and my pulse was speeding up. The surge of power left behind from the previous feeding was running through my veins like an electric shock. Before I knew it, my fangs were out, saying hello to our new, little and not-so-young-as-he-appeared friend.

And then everything happened in a flash. I pushed him and Payne plunged for my neck. At the same time, I heard something – the sound of metal strings being ripped off. Payne had brought out his fangs to play as well.

LAILA

Now that’s something you don’t see every day. As Payne’s fangs grew long enough for them to show, the realization downed on me – he was a vampire that wore braces! Or at least, that had worn braces up until then. But here comes the really good part: he was a vampire that wore braces because his fangs were crooked! Oh, my God, if only my life were a TV series, the rating would have gone up, up and away and all that thanks to Payne’s little defect.

“Are your fangs...?” It was Fabian’s turn to sound dumb now.

“SHUT UP!” Payne screeched at us. “Look what you made me do! It’s the fourth one already!” But it was too late. Fabian was trembling and was very much on the verge of...

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

...laughing. Which only caused Payne’s screams to increase and his face to boil up. Oh, yeah, now he was acting like his human years demanded him to – like a boy hitting puberty.

FABIAN

Okay, so I laughed a little. Maybe a little bit more. Down the drain goes my noble-self reputation, but cut me some slack, this was priceless.

As the laughing turned into giggles – yeah, I was literally giggling, Payne resumed his walk and this time ignored us completely. He then stopped in the middle of the floor and pulled out a few loose wooden boards exposing a passageway. Then he disappeared into it.

We followed, of course. Might as well get this over with. I was beginning to think Payne was one to hold a grudge judging by his lack of acknowledgement towards us. He barely paused to see if Laila and I were coming after him.

The passageway was lighted by torches here and there. It looked menacing and medieval. But nothing would look more menacing than what came next.

Payne stood before a beautifully carved door. This time he waited for us to surpass him and politely invited us to go on. I opened it and found myself in an immense ball-room. The only problem was that it was packed full - of vampires that is.