As always Charlaine Harris owns everything , I own nothing.
This started out as an AH story , but vampire Eric and Pam decided to make an appearance. So, for a brief time there will be two Eric's , don't let it confuse you. It doesn't mean anything profound, I just thought it would be funny.This does take place in CH's universe.
CHAPTER 1
“Are you sure this is a good idea Eric”? Eric pursed his lips in annoyance. This was the sixth time Bill had asked the question and they weren’t even halfway to the strip mall yet.
“We’ll be fine Bill, I’m telling you, we get there, get someone to buy the shirts, than we leave, no sweat. Why are you making such a big deal out of this”?
“Because, it’s I don’t know, VAMPIRES! Come on Eric, what if something happens”? Bill’s eyes were getting wider as he started working himself into a tizzy, especially since his friend was being so blasé about it.
The two boys were a picture in opposites sitting at the back of the Shreveport city bus. Eric was the older by almost two years, pushing fourteen and hitting that wonderful landmark known as the teenage growth spurt complete with unending appetite. His voice had started bottoming out although it crackled when he got excited. His tall, lanky frame stuck out in all directions, arms and legs in constant motion from a teenager’s typical nervous energy. Big blue eyes pierced everything they saw, reading and evaluating as they went. Blond hair glowed like an angel’s halo on his head from his early summer buzz cut. A shield of bravado, a ready wit, and some sports ability allowed him access to certain levels of teen social strata that someone with his background normally wouldn’t have.
His best friend Bill was twelve and on the cusp between childhood and teen. His dark brown hair and quiet manner contrasted with his friend’s feisty energy quite dramatically. Narrow brown eyes sat shadowed in his slender face with a melancholy born of seeing too much in his tender years. Pensive and thoughtful, his intelligence made him a teacher’s favorite but also attracted the wrath of other kids. A tendency towards crying when he was angry had earned him the unfortunate nickname of “Crybaby Bill”. It didn’t help that he wasn’t especially big for his age, had a problem with nosebleeds and a long list of allergies, including but not limited to pollen, ragweed, dust, cats, penicillin, various nuts, shell fish , bee stings, and bleach. Getting shots on a regular basis helped and he carried an Epi-pen just in case.
The two boys lived in the same foster group home with four other boys. They also shared classes at school since Bill’s IQ had tested so high he had skipped two grades. Their relationship was built on both the practical and an emotional understanding. Eric was no dummy, but his dislike for sitting still precluded him ever receiving top marks. Bill helped him turn his C’s and B’s into mostly B’s and the occasional A. In most other ways Bill looked up to Eric and followed where he led. Eric was the idea man and Bill always worked out the details. He played the deputy to Eric’s sheriff. In turn, Eric was fiercely protective of Bill and made sure that he was not targeted by those insecure bullies who populate schools everywhere.
A t this moment, they were on a mission. An argument with some other boys about guts and vampires had turned into a dare that Eric refused to back down from. He had declared that vampires didn’t scare him at which point a challenge of “prove it” had been thrown at him. Bill had gone to the library, looked up Fangtasia’s location on their computers and the buses required to get there. The next day they grabbed their skateboards, and money and off they went. Bill had actually called ahead of time to find out how much the shirts cost to make sure they had enough. The vampire who answered the phone had scared him so badly he tried to talk Eric out of the whole idea, but that wasn’t happening. Now here they were on the second of three buses and Bill was bringing it up yet again.
Eric sighed “Bill, tons of people go there every night, get loaded, dance, all that shit and they come out alright. Then they go back and do it again. All we’re doing is buying a couple shirts. I’m sure the vampires like money just like everybody else. Besides it’ll just be turning dark when we get there, so we’ll get back home before curfew. And won’t it be the shit when we show those losers our Fangtasia shirts? And when we go to summer camp we’ll wear them the first day! Won’t that be great”?
He needed Bill to get with the program because when it came down to it he was a little scared too. He just wasn’t going to admit it, neither to Bill nor himself.
“Well, okay, but if some vampire bites me I’m going to be pretty fucking pissed at you “Bill replied, his manner becoming more accommodating.
“Why would they want a skinny little ****** like you Bill”? Eric laughed.
Bill smiled back, they were back on comfortable footing, teasing each other and showing teamwork.
The bus came to a squealing stop. Eric got to the opening door first, threw his skateboard down to the ground, jumped down on it and took off with Bill close behind. They raced each other down the sidewalk, ignoring a few annoyed pedestrians who shook fists at them as they sped past. The bus that went directly to the strip mall was pulling up just as they rolled into the stop.
Once seated, they started into one of their favorite topics of discussion. Who was the better superhero Batman or Superman? Bill liked Batman’s intelligence, cool gadgets and lets face it having your very own Batmobile parked in a Batcave appeals to everyone right?
Eric rolled his eyes, and had his typical one word answer for why Superman kicked Batman’s ass. “Flying”!
“That’s your answer to everything. If Superman is so damn smart how come he’s always getting caught with Kryptonite, huh?
“But he always gets away. That’s all that counts. And he gets the bad guys and he tells the truth. Batman is a fucking psycho compared to him”
“He is not. He can’t help it his mom and dad got murdered. He wants to help people too. He just doesn’t have special powers, so he has to use his brains instead” Bill started to get a little flush, as he always did when defending his hero. “And Superman lies when he pretends to be Clark Kent and dates Lois Lane”
“Hey, he’s a guy, he wants to get some” Eric made a hand motion he’d seen the older boys use in similar discussions.
“It’s still not right” Bill huffed.
“Hold up! I think we’re almost there” Eric leaned toward the window peering out at the upcoming buildings.
The bus slowed down as it neared the strip mall’s stop. The sun was low on the horizon, and all the stores were still open at this point. Fangtasia opened once it got dark, so typically it was open when its neighbors were closed, much to its neighbor’s relief. It’s jazzy neon sign on the end was still dark. People were coming out of the Sam’s Club with their giant shopping carts piled high with supersized bulk goods. The Toys r Us was still lit up, so Eric and Bill skateboarded over to kill some time. They perused the newest video games that they would never be able to afford, but had heard about. The home they lived in had some older gaming consoles set up, but the games were locked up at night. Store employees were keeping an eye on them which was a drag, so they decided to go wait in Fangtasia’s parking lot.
Bill scrunched down sitting on his skateboard, watching Eric try some spins and flips with his board. He laughed as Eric hit the gravel for the third time trying the same move, sending dirt and pebbles scattering everywhere. “You need to give it up” he said. “Ms Jo is going to jump all over you if you get your legs fucked up again”. Eric had outgrown all of his pants. They rode high over his ankles now and they weren’t getting new clothes until school started. Most of the clothes they received were donated, hand me downs or purchased from Goodwill and the like. A new school year, Christmas, and their birthday was the only time they got to pick new clothes, usually from the local Walmart. Eric didn’t like looking stupid, so he cut the lower part of the pants off to make long shorts. This left his lower legs bare and ripe for injury when he would wipe out on his skateboard.
The ones he was wearing now had been bluejeans once upon a time. An elaborate action scene was drawn on them in pen by Bill, with Superman flying into the air his cape swirling around him. When the scene started to fade, Eric would have him touch it up or add some more detail. Some other kids had thought the design was cool and asked Bill to do the same to their bluejean pants and jackets. Eric, ever on the lookout for money making opportunities had insisted they pay for it. That money was the funds for this little expedition. A faded red t-shirt that said “here comes trouble” and some sneakers completed his ensemble. Bill was dressed in last year’s jeans with the knees torn out and his favorite batman shirt.
Watching the parking lot become more deserted as the surrounding shops started closing, Bill got an idea. “Let’s go back to the employee entrance. Maybe we can just pay them, get our shirts and go home. If we miss that last bus we’re screwed.”
Eric nodded, than shouted “I’ll beat you back there”! He took off on his board around the side of the building. Bill yelled back “You cheating shithead”! He chased Eric all the way there, but Eric had too big of a lead. They skidded to a stop near the back, laughing and started chasing each other around in the sickly glow of the buzzing overhead lights that were just coming on. Having just tagged Bill as “it”, Eric was running and dodging in tight circles away from him when he heard Bill give a cry. Turning around he almost slammed into a big leather clad chest.
There were two men who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere on the scene. Both had longish dark hair and leather vests with some type of wolf head on them. One had long sideburns and had his arm locked around Bill, practically lifting him off the ground as Bill kicked and struggled. The other had some type of stupid goatee that Eric was now viewing up close. Eric looked around, but the back part of the lot was completely deserted. They were on their own.
“Let him go”! Eric yelled, his fists clenched staring up at goatee man. A smile filled with malice was the reply. Eyes dark as pitch stared back. Then the man spoke. “Hey there kid, if you and your little buddy there know what’s good for you, you’ll hand over your money right now”
Sideburns chimed in “Come on, we don’t have all night” And he proceeded to use his spare hand to feel around Bill’s pockets as Bill continued to squirm.
Eric was livid and totally not thinking. “I said LET HIM GO” !! He ran for sideburns to get him off Bill, but Goatee grabbed him before he could get there. Eric started kicking and his much larger frame and longer legs made it difficult for Goatee to hold him. As he twisted out of his grasp he managed to nail his fist right in the asshole’s crotch.
“AAHHH!! You fucking little ……”!! Goatee staggered but stayed up and swung his fist into Eric’s gut. Eric fell to the ground clutching his stomach, shocked from the pain. He could hear Bill crying out “Eric! Are you okay? ERIC “!!?? Suddenly everything seemed to spin and the graveled parking lot was getting closer. He could hear yelling and movement behind him but he was too dizzy to see.
Then it was quiet.
Bill ran over and crouched on the ground next to him with one arm around Eric’s shoulders and his other hand on his head. He kept repeating himself much to Eric’s annoyance. “Eric? Are you okay? Eric! Please tell me you’re okay! Oh shit, please be okay! Are you alright? “
Taking a deep painful breath, Eric lifted his head from the rough ground and sat up still dazed. “What happened? Where are those guys”? He looked at Bill’s frightened face which looked pale under the parking lot lights.
“Eric, you’re not going to believe it, but …” Bill didn’t get to finish.
There was a soft thump behind them, then a deep voice asking “What are you boys doing here “? The two boys turned and looked up…… and up. A very tall large man stood before them. He had long blond hair like a rock star and was wearing a black Fangtasia tshirt with black jeans and boots. He had extremely white skin and his large eyes stared down at both of them with an expression that could only be described as “unfriendly”.
He spoke again, his tone more demanding. “I asked you a question. What are you boys doing on my property”?
That’s when they noticed that the man had fangs.
CHAPTER 2
The two boys sat and gaped at the big vampire, neither knew what to do or say. The vampire stared at them for a few seconds then impatiently stepped forward. Bill let out a tiny whimper and shrank next to Eric. Eric gave him one quick glance and noticed Bill’s lips trembling, any minute he’d start crying or worse one of his infamous nosebleeds would start gushing down his face. He had to do something.
“We didn’t do anything! Those guys attacked us and tried to steal our money” Eric exclaimed as he struggled to stand up with Bill half clinging half supporting him. It didn’t matter, the blond vampire was so tall he towered over them anyway. He looked down at them practically snarling his long fangs looking absolutely HUGE close up.
“That wasn’t my question. What were you doing here to begin with”?
Bill piped up his voice quavering a little “Sir, we came here to buy a couple Fangtasia shirts, that’s all. We were just waiting until someone got here, so we could buy them then we were going to leave right away. We have to catch our bus to get home. Someone is waiting for us” He added, hoping to give the impression that there would be consequences and someone would come looking for them if they didn’t make it back. The vampire affected a less aggressive stance which gave Eric some hope they’d get out of this alive. He was wondering what had happened to the two robber guys, but was afraid to ask.
“What are your names”? The vampire asked.
Eric jumped in before Bill did something stupid like give their full names and addresses.
“I’m Eric, this is Bill” he gestured, as if it wasn’t obvious with Bill huddling next to him. A loud snicker came from behind them. They both jumped and Eric hunched ready for anything. It was a female vampire, she was just a little taller than Bill, very slender and pale of course with long blond hair. She was wearing some type of long black dress with lace that almost touched the ground and she seemed incredibly amused about something. Her fangs were slender points in her smiling mouth.
She looked at the other vampire and commented “What are the odds”?, then she snickered again. What was so damn funny? Eric thought. The big vampire seemed to give her a look, then she answered even though he hadn’t said anything “They’ve been taken care of “. That didn’t sound good. Eric assumed “they” referred to the guys who had attacked them, but he was still too scared to ask about them.
Then both vampires attention suddenly sharpened and looked next to Eric. He glanced back at Bill again. Bill’s nose had started one of its gushfests. There was bright red blood running down his face.
Oh shit.
Eric frantically looked around the dimly lit parking lot for anything to use as a weapon. Their skateboards were too far away. Where was a good piece of wood when you needed it?
The big vampire was smiling now which didn’t make him feel any more secure. “You’re injured, you boys need to come inside we have first aid supplies” he said. Yeah right, first aid? HA! More like sharp fangs and a big appetite. Eric tried to think of a way to say No Fucking Way without pissing off the vampire.
Then Bill blurted out “Excuse me sir, but you havn’t introduced yourself yet” Eric couldn’t believe this, Bill was bleeding all over the place and yet he had turned on his good little Southern boy manners which normally had adults eating out of his hand in ten seconds flat. Fortunately, it appeared the vampire was not immune.
“You are respectful of adults, excellent, you may call me Mr Northman.” he said. There was another snicker from the female vampire behind them. Eric was really starting to not like her. Mr Northman glanced past their shoulders at her and added “You may call her Pam”. His eyes seemed to crinkle a bit as the snickering died away.
“Ah, Mr Northman, we appreciate the offer, we really do, but um, we have to get back to catch our bus, so ….” Bill’s voice faded a bit as the vampire’s face got a stern look.
“I wasn’t asking” the vampire replied, his voice brooking no argument. He stepped to one side stretching out his long arm pointed toward the back entrance to the club. Eric didn’t know what else to do. They couldn’t fight or outrun the vampires. He looked down at his friend’s bloody face, which was the very picture of panic, willing Eric to figure out something, ANYTHING other than walking into the dark doorway between two vampires.
He had nothing.
Sighing, he patted Bill’s arm and said “It’s okay Bill, let’s get you all cleaned up”. He held his head up and displayed confidence that he definitely did not feel. Walking slowly to show he wasn’t trying to run, he picked up both their skateboards then came back over to where Bill was standing.
They marched slowly after the tall vampire with the female following silently which was creepy as hell. Down the hallway they went, then to the right and into a regular looking office. It was actually kind of freaky since Eric pictured vampires hanging out in some Gothic type elaborate rooms like in the movies. Instead, this vampire’s office had a regular boring desk with a computer, papers stacked in little piles, some shelves against one wall with supplies and a big leather sofa against the other. It was just so ….normal. They sat down on the sofa where the vampire indicated and set their skateboards on the floor next to it.
“Wait here” he said, then abruptly walked out and closed the door behind him.
“Eric, what are we going to do? Do you think he’s going to ….”
“Stop Bill, don’t get yourself all worked up. Nothing has happened yet, maybe he’s just going for the first aid stuff” Eric wanted so much to believe this.
“Did you notice there are no windows in here” We can’t get out”!
“Shut up! It wouldn’t matter anyway, it’s not like we can outrun them. What happened out there anyway? I couldn’t see shit” Eric asked.
Bill took a deep breath. He was trying to calm himself even as he looked a fright with blood still oozing down his face and dripping on his black shirt. Bill normally would have had his head tipped back by now and be squeezing his nose bridge to make it stop. But there was no way he was going to expose his neck like that around vampires. They might get ideas.
“Well, that guy was holding me and you were on the ground. The other guy hit you on the head”!
“That’s why I got dizzy. Man, I didn’t even realize I’d been clocked”
“I thought he was going to kill you Eric”! Bill’s lips started to tremble again. Eric rubbed his back and shushed him a little. He had a lot of experience soothing others.
“Then what”?
“That big vampire flew down and he …”
“No fucking way! What do you mean he …flew….for real”?
“Yeah, he flew down just like Superman or something and grabbed the guy who was hitting you, then vanished! And then the guy who was holding me suddenly disappeared too”!
“You think that vampire bitch got him”?
Now it was Bill’s turn to shush Eric. “They’ve got kickass hearing Eric! Don’t say stuff like that. I’ve got to tell you something before he comes back. That guy got all our money”.
“What”!
“I couldn’t help it! He had my arms pinned. He got our money and our bus passes”
“Shit! How are we going to get home? And how are we going to explain why we’re on the other side of town at a vampire bar”? Eric put his throbbing head into his other hand. They were going to be in so much trouble. They were lucky their slots for summer camp had already been allotted and paid for or they probably would have been pulled as a punishment. He wondered what had happened to the robber guys. The vampires could get their money and bus passes back easily. He was sure of that, but that depended on what the vampires were planning on doing with them.
His heart sank at the possibility that the vampires had no intention of letting them go. No one would ever see him or Bill again. They hadn’t actually told anyone where they were going, just that they’d be back by curfew which was fast approaching. It was bad enough that he would never get to grow up and get out of this backwards state and do something with his life, see other places. But getting his best friend dragged into this mess made it so much worse. He was wracking his brain for ideas when the door opened and the vampire came back in.
Eric felt a huge swell of relief when he saw that the vampire had an honest to god first aid kit in his hand. It was a white box the size of a laptop case with a big red cross on it. Pulling a chair up to the sofa, he sat down in front of the two boys. His fangs appeared to be pulled in which Eric took as a positive sign.
“Lean forward child” he gestured towards Bill who was slumping away. He seemed even bigger sitting down if that was possible. Bill let out a tiny cry as the vampire put one of his large hands on the side of his head and tilted it back as he leaned close. Eric straightened up with his fists clenched, ready for anything. “Stay calm” the vampire said. “I’m trying to see why your friend is bleeding so much. Not that I have any objections to bleeding in general” he smirked a little at his own joke.
Well, this was just great. They get beat up, robbed, all their money stolen, and now they were trapped in the office of a vampire who thought he was a comedian. Under normal circumstances Eric would have had a snappy and or rude comeback. But his survival instincts were kicking in and telling him to keep his mouth shut.
Bill’s first instinct was, as usual, to answer an adult’s question. “Um, Mr Northman sir, I’m just prone to nosebleeds. Sometimes I get them when I’m stressed or overheated. Nothing is really wrong, it’ll stop after a few minutes”
“I noticed you were wearing that bracelet” the vampire said, pointing at the telltale stainless steel medic alert bracelet on Bill’s wrist.
“Oh, that’s for my allergies”
“I see” The vampire sat back gazing longingly at the blood on Bill’s face and sighed. “It’s a shame to let all that blood go to waste, but we do not feed on minors here” He sighed again. It was on the tip of Eric’s tongue to say “Boy, what a bummer for you”, but he didn’t. Bill was shocked into silence at the vampire’s casual statement about “feeding”.
The vampire stood up blocking the overhead light out for a minute as he pulled some cotton gauze and alcohol wipes out of the kit and handed them to Bill. “I assume you know what to do with these then”?
“Yes, sir” Bill looked as relieved as Eric had ever seen him and started wiping the blood off his face and stuffing the gauze up his nose to stop the blood flow. Then Eric realized Mr Northman had wiped his own hands with the wipes and had moved his chair in front of him.
Eric blurted out “I’m okay, I’m okay”!
“You are not. You took a blow to the head. Bend your head down so I can see the back of it” There was nothing else to do but follow the vampire’s instructions. Eric bent his head forward until his eyes had a direct shot to the vampire’s black jean clad knees and boots. He took a deep breath, trying not to freak out. Large cool hands trailed along his scalp.
“Did you ever lose consciousness? It did not appear so to me”
“No sir”
“Very good, it appears superficial. Hold still” Eric heard the vampire tear open another packet, then wet coldness against the back of his head. It was a good thing he had just had his hair buzzed short. Then another wad of gauze was pressed into his hand the vampire took it and pressed it against the back of his head tightly. “Keep the pressure there, it’s clotting already” the vampire said. “And sit back up” Eric obeyed.
He flinched as those cool hands started feeling around his torso. The vampire grunted softly to himself and sat back. “Just some bruises and no broken ribs. There does not appear to be any internal injuries, which is good since taking you to the ER would present a problem for me” He said with an amused expression. Eric had a really good look at the vampires face for the first time. It was extremely white of course with long golden hair that fell loose touching his broad shoulders. He had very large blue eyes like a cold winter sky that even now were examining Eric up and down.
Then a loud growling noise erupted from Eric’s stomach. The vampire laughed out loud. He laughed! “You are hungry”? He asked.
Eric wasn’t sure what to say. They had eaten dinner right before taking off on their little excursion, but it didn’t matter. He was always hungry. A bedtime snack for him was a couple more sandwiches and a big bowl of cereal. “Um, I’m okay, I’ll eat when we get home” he said this with conviction like it was a foregone conclusion that the vampire was going to let them go. He sincerely hoped this was true.
The vampire turned his head and said clearly “Pam”? The office door flew open almost immediately which made the boys jump. She gazed avidly at Bill and his little pile of bloody wipes and gauze while answering “Yes”?
“Has the food for the employee’s dinner been delivered yet”?
“Yes” she replied. “Just a few minutes ago as a matter of fact”.
“Bring a couple of the sandwiches back here for our guests. And some Cokes to go with them”.
The female vampire had a sudden displeased expression but it passed quickly. “Yes, Mr Northman “as if there was something very amusing about his name and she disappeared from the doorway.
Okay, things had taken a turn for the better, Eric thought. The vampire wouldn’t be referring to them as “guests” if they were going to kill them and he certainly wouldn’t be wasting his employee’s lunches on them, right? He and Bill watched silently as the vampire pushed the chair back with a squeak, closed the first aid kit, and went to sit behind his desk. There was no clock in this office and he couldn’t tell how much time had passed, their curfew had probably passed or was very close to it. If they didn’t get back on time, it was going to be ugly.
He took a deep breath. “Excuse me, Mr Northman…um….its past our curfew. We really have to get home or we’ll get in a lot of trouble. It’s really nice of you to help us and thanks a lot for stopping those guys, but we really have to go”. Eric waited to see how the vampire was going to take this. He could sense Bill holding his breath next to him.
The vampire tilted his chair back and put his boots on the edge of his desk as he appraised them. “Your parents would be very worried”? he asked. “I’m surprised they allowed you to come here on your own”.
“Well, we knew they wouldn’t like us coming here, so we didn’t tell them ahead of time. We just left a note where we were going and when we’d be back” Eric lied thru his teeth.
“I don’t appreciate you lying to me” the vampire said. His voice had dropped lower and he definitely sounded displeased.
Bill made a little panicked intake of breath.
At that moment, the female vampire Pam opened the office door and came in bearing a bag from a local sandwich place and a tray with Cokes on it. She held the bag like it was dead vermin and her expression said she not happy. Dropping the bag between the two boys on the sofa, she deposited the tray on a side table and made for the door.
“Thank you Pam” the big vampire said with a smile. All they heard was what sounded like a disgusted snort as the door was closed behind her. “Very well” he turned his head back to gaze at them. “You were about to tell me the truth about your parents knowledge of your coming here”.
Bill couldn’t stand it. Supposedly, vampires had all kinds of secret powers and they knew people from having watched them for so long. Not telling this guy the truth was only going to piss him off and then what? “I’m sorry sir…um…we don’t have parents. We live in a group foster home” He ignored Eric’s glare at him.
The vampire briefly looked surprised “You both are orphans? You live in a home with other orphans? “
Bill flushed a little as he replied “No sir, not exactly. My parents weren’t able to take of me, so I was placed there”
“And it was the same for you”? He asked while looking back at Eric.
Eric squirmed a little in his seat. He hated talking about this. He hated people’s pity and whispers when they found out why he was a foster. Giving Bill another glare for being such a blabbermouth, he answered “My dad died and my mom couldn’t handle it. So I was taken away from her. We didn’t have any close relatives and none of the others could take me”. The vampire’s face remained still.
“How did your father die”?
Eric looked down at Superman’s swirling cape on his knee, tracing it with his finger. He knew the vampire was waiting for an answer. “My Dad died overseas in the Middle East. He was a marine”.
“So your father was a warrior” the vampire stated.
Hearing the vampire’s deep voice speak about his Dad with such a respectful tone made something turn inside Eric. No one had ever said it quite like that. They told Eric to be proud his father had died serving his country and war is hell blah, blah, blah. But that didn’t change the fact his Dad had died far from home, on a dirt road, in a little desert country that could barely be seen on a globe.
He looked up at the vampire, not sure he was being serious. The vampire’s face appeared carved from marble, his eyes seemed to be looking at Eric but not really seeing him. The vampire suddenly shook himself and gestured at the food Pam had brought. “Help yourselves to the sandwiches and the Cokes. I have a little work to do. Then you will be taken back home”.
The boy’s bodies flooded with relief. Eric was thinking that he’d rather these vampires not know where he lived, but there was no way around it. Plus, if they were driven straight home they might be close enough to curfew (since he still had no idea what time it was) that they wouldn’t get in too much trouble. He wanted to ask about their bus passes and money, but didn’t want to push his luck.
Rummaging through the bag, he pulled out a sandwich marked “chicken” for Bill since usually that should be safe enough and a one marked “pulled pork” for himself. There were bags of chips in there too. They each took one. Carefully spreading out the wax paper wrappings and napkins to make sure he didn’t spill anything on the vampire’s leather sofa, he handed a Coke to Bill and took a long thirsty draught from the other. He was already halfway thru his sandwich while Bill carefully checked his to make sure it didn’t possess any offending allergy reaction causing ingredients. They sat silently chewing while listening to the vampire tapping on his computer in an annoyed fashion. Finally, it seemed he had had enough, he growled at the computer. Growled! Whatever was going on wasn’t good.
“Pam”! He called sharply. The door swung open almost immediately once again. “Get Compton on the phone. I want to know why he isn’t here yet”
The female vampire nodded solemnly and had her cell phone to her ear in a blink as she went back into the hallway. They heard the clicking sound of her shoes going back and forth and her soft voice. The door reopened.
“Well”? He asked.
Pam hesitated, whatever she was about to say wasn’t going to be well received.
“He said he should be here shortly and….” She paused.
“What”?
“He asked if you had tried…rebooting” she looked down as she said this.
A dark cloud settled on the big vampire’s face as he said in his deep voice “Give me your phone Pam”. She handed it to him faster than a hot potato. The vampire had the phone to his ear and was at the doorway so fast the boys both jumped in their seats.
They could hear his angry voice “Compton! Of course I already tried rebooting, do you think I’m an idi….” They didn’t get to hear the rest of it since Pam shut the door behind him.
“I don’t envy that Compton guy” Eric said while he dug around for another sandwich in the bag.
“I don’t know why he got so mad, rebooting is always the first thing you try if the computer is stuck” Bill stated sagely.
“Yeah, you’re the expert, huh”? Eric had found a sandwich marked “roast beef”. It was excellent, nice and juicy. And the long bun was toasted just right.
“I bet I could fix it” Eric just snorted at that since his mouth was full again. Bill sat chewing. He was still working on his first sandwich. Taking a drink of his Coke, he got up and walked over to the vampire’s desk. Eric blurted around the roast beef
“What are you doing?
Get the hell away from his desk”!
“I’m just looking”
“What if he comes back”? Eric hissed quietly. He’d set the sandwich down now that Bill had apparently gone suicidal.
Bill stood staring at the vampire’s computer screen. The system was familiar. It was common office software with the usual quirks. There was an icon for some type of database marked with a blood drop that appeared to drip down the screen. He had no idea what that was. But it didn’t seem to be the problem. His mind whizzed around and came up with the solution which was really quite simple.
“Bill, don’t even think about it” Eric snapped as he watched the bottom of the door for any shadow to indicate the vampire was coming back.
Bill’s hands reached out and gently stroked the keys. The computer started humming and the screen started opening the pages as it was supposed to. Suddenly, the printer kicked on, loudly clacking away. It hadn’t occurred to him that the vampire may have been trying to print something as well. Bill jumped and started going back to the sofa to pretend he’d been there the whole time, but it was too late.
The door slammed open and the big vampire loomed in it like the jolly green giant only without the friendly smile and booming laugh. He scowled at Bill with his fangs oh so visible. “What are you doing with my computer ‘?
Eric jumped up and got in front of Bill. This was going to be so bad .
CHAPTER 3
Eric stood there frozen, trying to stare down a vampire twice his size who was probably deciding whether to tear his body into 20 pieces or 10. They’d probably end up in a pile somewhere next to Goatee Man and Sideburn Man. Then the vampire vanished from in front of him and Bill gave a yelp. He whipped around to see the vampire was behind them, his long hair hanging over half his smiling face with his fangs shining white. Bill backed up and Eric, not knowing what else to do, wrapped his arms protectively around Bill. No one was going to hurt Bill without a fight.
Staring defiantly up at the vampire, Bill’s body was shaking against his. He gripped tighter and declared “Bill didn’t hurt anything. He fixed your computer. Look for yourself”. Hopefully, what he was saying was true.
“Mr Northman, if you look, you’ll see its working now” Eric was amazed Bill still had the power of speech considering how much he was trembling.
Tapping a couple keys softly with one finger, Mr Northman checked the screen he’d been on. Then he walked over to the printer to see what had popped out. The boys held their breath as they contemplated his broad back with the jazzy red script saying “The bar with the bite”. He turned back around his blue eyes staring at Bill while stroking the warm sheets of paper.
“Interesting” he said. “How did you learn how to do this? Do they teach you this in school”?
“Um ..no ..ah “
“Bill’s really smart” Eric interjected. “He remembers everything he reads and he likes computers. He’s really good at figuring out stuff”.
Show him, stupid vampire, getting his panties in a twist over nothing. Eric continued to meet the vampire’s gaze with his own. The vampire’s expression suddenly took on an amused aspect and he chuckled softly while shaking his head, his blond mane waving.
He pointed at the sofa. “Sit back down and finish your meal”. He hadn’t stopped smiling. His fangs had gone away again thank god. The boys eased back and plopped back onto the sofa. Eric took another drink of his Coke trying to get his heart to stop racing. The vampire sat back down behind his desk examining the forms that had printed out.
Then Pam opened the door again. “He said he’s almost here, he’ll be pulling into the parking lot in a few minutes”.
“You have him on the phone”?
“Yes”
“Hand it to me” Pam handed him her cell phone again.
This time the vampire was smiling as he spoke into it. “I want you to turn around and go home. The problem has been fixed by someone else”.
Pause. “I don’t care if you’re pulling into the lot right now, come back tomorrow”.
Pause. “I’m evaluating someone else to handle my computer needs”.
Pause.“No, it’s no one you know”. Mr Northman looked over at Bill and winked which made Eric almost choke on his sandwich.
Pause. “I think I’m capable of evaluating someone’s competence myself, go home, I’ll see you tomorrow”. And with that he clicked the phone shut laughing softly to himself as he handed it back to a smiling Pam.
Eric had never thought of vampires having a sense of humor. These two appeared to think they were a laugh riot. He just shook his head and dug around the bag for another sandwich. He found one marked “Italian”. It seemed to have several different kinds of meats and cheeses on it. It was really good too with some kind of Italian dressing on it that gave it a tangy flavor. The two boys sat and munched away while the vampire signed some forms, then he got up and walked out, this time leaving the office door open.
Leaning over so Bill could hear him Eric said quietly “That was a really stupid thing to do Bill. What if you had done something to his computer“ ?
“I knew I could fix it” Bill replied stubbornly.
Eric shook his head “Bill, I swear sometimes you’re the stupidest smart person I’ve ever met”.
The vampire walked back in, this time carrying two black plastic shopping bags with the Fangtasia logo in red on them. He placed a bag next to each of them. Their two bus passes were dropped next to them. He pulled out his wallet and said “Your money was ….damaged…so I hope this is acceptable to you” and he placed a crisp new bill in each boy’s hand with a picture of Benjamin Franklin on it.
They sat and stared at the money. Neither had ever held a hundred dollar bill before. Eric stroked old Ben’s face, this was crazy, they hadn’t brought nearly this much with them. Maybe the vampire didn’t realize it?
As usual, Bill had to try and ruin it. “Mr Northman, we didn’t have this much money, just so you know”.
“I know that.” He answered. “Consider it payment for services rendered and for your inconvenience suffered this evening. Maybe when you are old enough, you will come back and visit us again”.
TRANSLATION: thanks for fixing my computer when my computer geek couldn’t get his butt here fast enough, and for not threatening to call the police over getting attacked in my parking lot, and it would be great when you’re no longer jailbait if you’d come back so I can suck your blood and do all kinds of kinky shit to you.
Eric got the vampire’s message loud and clear. “Thank you sir”
“Yes, thank you Mr Northman” Bill added as he carefully folded the bill and put it in his pocket.
The vampire looked pleased and said “Consider the items in the bags as Fangtasia’s gift to you. I’m taking you home now, so get your things together. Give me a moment, I’ll pull the car around”.
The boys looked in the Fangtasia bags while he was gone. They each had a Fangtasia hoodie, not a T-shirt, a hoodie! Eric’s was red and Bill’s was black They were soft, the cotton thick and obviously well made with the Fangtasia script on the back of each in an opposing color. “Proudly Made in the USA” the attached paper tag said.
“Whoa! This is so cool” Eric exclaimed. The hoodie’s had been much more expensive than the shirts he remembered.
The vampire reappeared in the doorway. “Follow me” he said. They trooped out in a much happier fashion then when they went in, carrying their skateboards and Fangtasia bags. They passed the female vampire in the hallway. Bill said politely “Thank you for everything Pam, I hope you have a nice evening” She put her hands on her hips and snorted, turning back towards the bar. Yeah, Eric thought, she is a bitch. They went out the door and under the parking lot lights which were now fully on, sat a red corvette polished so shiny you could floss your teeth in its reflection.
Eric and Bill looked at each other and grinned. Things were looking up. The vampire motioned for them to get in. Since it was a two seater of course, Eric got in first and Bill sat in his lap. Since most vampires were older than dirt, Eric hoped this guy was a good driver.
He really started hoping when they took off, as in TOOK OFF. It almost felt like he’d left a couple organs behind the way the car accelerated. It was beautiful inside, just like the pictures he’d seen in magazines since he’d never been this close to one in person. They sped thru the streets of Shreveport, with Bill giving directions as Eric gripped him tightly to keep him from being thrown around the inside of the car. The vampire told them they could play any radio station they wanted which wasn’t something they were used to hearing from an adult. They put it on a local college rock station that always played cool music. The vampire didn’t seem annoyed by the music and he asked questions about the bands and whether they were popular etc.
It was so normal, Eric almost started forgetting the guy was a vampire.
All too soon, (the car ride was fantastic and fast) they pulled into the front of the big house they lived in. Eric had never been so happy to see a building in all his life. It was mostly dark which meant the other boys were in bed and from the clock in the car it was way past curfew. As they got out, Eric was trying to think of what to tell Ms Jo who mostly certainly was still up and probably thinking about calling the police and reporting them missing if she hadn’t already.
He turned to the vampire, “Thanks so much Mr Northman for everything. I really like the hoodie”
“Yes, thank you very much sir” Bill chimed in. The vampire nodded. They got out and started walking to the house when they realized he was following them.
“Um, sir it might be a problem if you come in.” Eric said. He wasn’t sure what to do if the vampire got pushy. What did he want?
“I will speak to the adult in charge and advise them it wasn’t your fault you were late” the vampire said.
Why is it grownups only try to be helpful when you don’t want them to? Bill wondered. Ms Jo would freak out if she saw a vampire on her lawn. She’d assume something bad happened to Eric and Bill (which wasn’t entirely incorrect) and call the police. Then Mr Northman would get in trouble when he hadn’t done anything wrong. Bill pulled the house key which was on a lanyard around his neck from under his shirt. He and Eric gave each other a look. They didn’t know what to do and it was impossible to know how Ms Jo was going to react. He quietly put the key in the door hoping it wouldn’t be heard.
No such luck.
The door flew open and Ms Jo was standing there with a mixture of anger and concern clearly written on her face. She was a stocky middle aged Black woman about Eric’s height. She was wearing a pink bathrobe and had put her hair up in curlers for the evening. Peering at them over her reading glasses with her Oprah magazine clutched in one hand, she let them have it, “Do you have ANY IDEA how late it is!?? I’ve been sitting here worried sick about you two! Its’ bad enough no one knows where you went, but you come back after curfew and don’t bother calling me to tell me you’re okay?! Bill is that BLOOD on your shirt?! Eric, you had better not have dragged Bill into some of your foolishness or you’re going to be grounded the rest of your natural days”! Her voice was getting louder as she waved her magazine under Eric’s nose. She’d rapped Eric on the head with the magazine a couple times in the past when he’d gotten caught doing something he shouldn’t. Oprah’s magazine was heavy as hell and it hurt too.
Eric was trying to get a word in edgewise to try and create some type of explanation when Ms Jo suddenly noticed the vampire standing in the shadow next to the door. “Who is this? Did he drive you home? Excuse me, but what have these two gotten.. “She didn’t get any further. Suddenly, it was like all the energy drained out of her and her face went blank.
The vampire stepped forward looking directly at her “Be calm, the boys are okay, everything is going to be fine” .
Eric was shocked. He had no idea what the vampire was doing to Ms Jo, turning her into a zombie? As usual, he reacted without thinking. He jumped in front of the vampire and grabbed his shirt, looking up at him he hissed “Stop it! She hasn’t done anything, she’s just upset. Leave her alone”!
Bill jumped next to Eric practically in tears “Please, Mr Northman, she’s a nice lady, she’s just worried about us. Please don’t hurt her.” Ms Jo may have been strict and would go after you with her Oprah magazine if she caught you doing something stupid, but at least she cared. Bill had been around enough adults who didn’t to know the difference.
“I know” the vampire responded, much to their surprise. The vampire noticed Eric’s expression and said “She’s angry because she’s afraid for you. She cares for you even though you are not of her blood. Do not be upset, I’m not doing anything that will harm her. I’m simply calming her down and her memory of what time you got home will be muddled.” He looked down at Eric’s hand “and I’d appreciate it if you’d let go of my shirt”.
“Er, sorry” Eric mumbled and immediately let go. The vampire simply smiled and turned back to Ms Jo who was still standing quite still with a blank expression. Eric and Bill took a step back and watched as he murmured softly to Ms Jo for a minute, then her face relaxed and she turned around and shuffled back down the hallway. They could hear her bedroom door close.
They stood there staring up at the vampire’s pale face, his eyes were dark holes from the shadows being cast from the street. Eric could hear his own heartbeat and wondered if the vampire was about to put a whammy on him too.
Bill as usual, couldn’t help himself. “Mr Northman, you’re not going to do that to us too are you”?
“Some of the things that occurred this evening were unpleasant, were they not”? The vampire asked.
Typical Bill, he gave that some thought before answering. “I don’t know, some of it was kind of cool”.
Nodding, Eric agreed “I’d rather remember everything too” He looked up at the vampire wondering what he was thinking. If he didn’t agree, there wasn’t anything they could do about it.
Smiling down at them with a very satisfied expression he replied “Fair enough. She believes that you called earlier to let her know you’d be late and that you were being driven home by someone you knew. Details of your arrival will be unclear. She won’t remember your appearance or me. You’ll have to provide specifics”.
With that, he turned away and started walking back down the path to his car. Then he stopped and looked back at them, his face a mask He said quietly,“If I were human, I’d be proud to have either of you as a part of my family”. And in a blink of an eye, he was in his Corvette and roaring down the street at subsonic speeds as the boys stood there with their mouths open trying to grasp what the vampire had just said.
But they had to go into the house and young bladders were calling.
Too much had happened and there was too much information to digest for a single evening. They turned around and very quietly made their way thru the old house, creeping up the stairs and to their room. After they both used the restroom, they changed into their pajamas and slipped into bed. The boy who shared their room, Bubba, slept like the dead so they didn’t’ have to worry about waking him. He was snoring peacefully away in his bed at the other end of the room.
Eric noticed that Bill had turned on the nightlight next to his bed, which he hadn’t done in months. Lying there listening to distant traffic noise and trying to get his mind to stop racing, he realized he heard a soft snuffling noise coming from Bill’s bed. The stress of the evening had caught up with Bill. Eric knew he was crying and it was all Eric’s fault. He had talked him into going to that vampire club and it was just dumb luck that big vampire wasn’t a bad guy and had helped them out. It could have been so much worse. Eric and Bill had both met kids in the system who had horrible things happen to them. So they were more aware than most of how bad, bad could be.
Eric slipped out of bed and padded over to Bill’s “Move over Bill” he said, pushing Bill’s shoulder a little.
Bill looked up at him, rubbing his eyes, he hesitated before he said “You’re not going to do the other thing, are you”?
“No, of course not, come on move over”
“Okay” Bill replied as he shifted over to give Eric room.
Eric got under the covers with him and wrapped his arms around Bill’s shoulders very tightly. Bill liked being held tight, so Eric squeezed him a little as the soft post crying hiccups started dying away. Eric had no idea why he liked being held that way. Why wasn’t something Eric ever asked.
The last time Eric asked why was when his Dad told him he was leaving again to go back overseas. His Dad had told him to be brave and strong, but Eric didn’t feel either, he had cried angrily saying “But WHY? Why do you have to go”?
His Dad had looked at him and said “Because freedom is the most expensive thing you’ll ever buy Eric and at some point we all have to pay”. His Dad had told him to take care of his mother while he was gone and promised he would be back. And Eric had tried he really had tried, but he couldn’t stop his mother from drinking the extra drink here and there. And he couldn’t stop her when she moved to drinking from morning until night with a couple pills mixed in. And when he found her passed out lying in her own vomit after promising to “cut down” on the booze, he’d stopped asking why.
He didn’t ask why when his friend Timmy’s Dad came home to patriotic balloons and a party while Eric’s Dad came home in a box.
He didn’t ask why when his mother started “disappearing” for a couple days at a time leaving him to fend for himself.
He didn’t ask why when the police and Child Services had shown up to remove him from the only home he’d ever known.
When he was told he’d have to be placed in foster care because none of his relatives could take him, he didn’t ask why.
And as he was shuffled from one home to another since older boys are “difficult to place” as it was explained to him, he didn’t ask why. He was placed in this current group home due to his age and the unlikely scenario of his ever being adopted by anyone. He knew that and he didn’t have to ask why. Warily, he’d kept his distance from everyone since as far as he was concerned, he’d been taking care of himself for over 2 years.
Then when his mother tried to get custody back, the Child Advocacy Rep and Child Services had taken him to court to meet the judge and see what could be worked out. He’d carefully dressed and combed his hair, so his mother would see that he was worth getting back.
They sat in the courthouse all day and she never showed up.
Eric didn’t ask why.
That night, he’d snuck into the old attic at the top of the house and sat up there on dusty boxes sobbing like he’d had the last time he’d seen his father. Suddenly, he’d realized someone was there, so he turned and there was Bill standing there in his pajamas all covered in little bats and a book in his hand. “What the fuck do you want”? He’d demanded. Bill had simply walked over and sat next to him. He didn’t’ say anything for a while, than he asked “what happened”? Eric had found himself spilling out everything to Bill and unable to stop crying.
Bill had listened without interruption. Then he had said “You know, you’re going to be okay, you know that right”?
And Eric had looked at him with disgust “And how do you know that? My life has been shit, what’s to stop the rest of it from being shit”?
“I just do” he’d replied very simply as if it was a foregone conclusion that Eric could have any life he wanted. Then, Eric got curious and he asked Bill about how he ended up there. When Bill got done, Eric started thinking maybe his life hadn’t been as bad as he thought.
When Bill got up, Eric had asked “You won’t tell anyone about any of this will you “?
“Of course not” Bill had answered and he never had.
After that, they were inseperable, secure in their secrets and loyalty to each other. Eric had made looking out for Bill his job. He’d promised his Dad he’d watch out for his Mom and he’d failed. Bill needed someone to look out for him He could watch out for Bill and he did. Eric listened as Bill’s breathing became steady as he drifted off to sleep. He patted Bill’s shoulder a couple more times then slowly slid out of the bed and went back to his own.
Thinking again about what had happened tonight, he realized how close they’d come. Bill could have gotten killed tonight and it would have been Eric’s fault. It was bad enough sometimes he did things with Bill that he probably shouldn’t. But he’d dragged Bill into a situation which could have been horror movie type bad and he felt like such a loser for it. Once again, he hadn’t looked out for someone like he’d promised.
He wondered about the vampires they’d met tonight. Teaching about vampires had been controversial for schools. Most Science teachers explained that since vampires were a part of the natural order that children needed to be taught about them. But many religious organizations didn’t want children taught about them at all. As a result, most of what Eric knew about vampires he got from TV and other kids and a lot of it sounded crazy. It was hard to know what to believe.
But that vampire Mr Northman had seemed okay. He wasn’t Mr warm and fuzzy, but he’d been nice enough and hadn’t seemed monsterous or psycho as the Fellowship of the Sun Church had insisted all vampires were. And he’d saved them from the robbers, although Eric was scared to think of what might have happened to them. He’d treated their wounds, fed them, given them those hoodies and the money, hadn’t tried to do anything to them and been decent enough to drive them home.
Eric didn’t ask why.
As he finally started feeling sleep pulling on him, Eric wished he could have seen the vampire fly.
That would have been cool.
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