His Secret

At school, Sean was always asleep; well seemed to be sleeping. However he never got into trouble for being late for class. Lydia wondered about where he lived; only because he never seemed to leave the school grounds. He was unusual; she liked that about a person. While Mr Adley’s back was turned from the class, she cast a quick look at Sean as he sat slouched over his desk with his head in his arms, hair spilling all over and his books on the floor. She wondered why he was always tired.

The night haunted his every sleeping moment at school. Sean remembered it clearly; his last sunset that is. He never knew it’d be so painful to be so different when he was already a fly in the ointment at this place. All he was doing that night two years previous was going to a party. He walked because he knew his parents would never allow him to go; but he never got there. Instead, he found himself in the basement of the school, trapped by one of the cleaners who stayed here late. She had jumped him in the park and when he woke up on her makeshift bed downstairs, she had just finished feeding on him; he was almost dead. The very thought that filled him with fear was that right then she could have left him to die. But she didn’t. Instead, she sliced her arm and shoved it into his mouth… forcing him to drink. As he did, taking it all, killing her; even when she fought to pull back, he knew he was going to win. Since then, he had been tracking down criminals and taking them off the streets and making it safe for people; people he liked… like Lydia over there in the third row who keeps on looking over at him during class. He can smell it on her that she likes him; but she won’t say so.
The bell rang pulling him out of his snooze and he reached down and grabbed his books as he looked over at Lydia. She pulled her bag onto her shoulder. Her gorgeous mane of hair was curly today; he loved that kind of red that only Mother Nature hands out to certain people. But it’s not a burnt Irish colour; not Lydia’s. Her colouring was a beautiful red that people spend a lot of money to get and usually fail. She glanced at him and smiled before leaving the classroom. Yep, she liked him. He began to follow her out the door and down the hall toward the cafeteria. Instead of going there, he went to the Library; knowing she was working there today.
Sure enough, she showed up fifteen minutes later and signed herself in. She walked in behind the counter and put her bag in a locker, closed it and looked on the roster to see what she was doing that day. He watched her grab the trolley full of books and began to shelve them; so he walked into her line of sight in the next isle as she put the books away.
“Hello, Lydia.” He took a book down and pretended to read it as she put one back.
She looked through and saw him: “Hi Sean. How are you?” she moved onto the next shelf below.
“I know all about you.” He put his book back and smiled at her, “I knew you were watching me in class.
”She looked at him with an uneasy expression: “What do you mean?”
“I have a secret.” He whispered, “But can I trust you with it?”
She pulled the trolley long and started on the next lot of shelves: “You’re strange. I like that in a person.” She smiled, “But we all have secrets.”
He rounded the end of the shelves and blocked her way: “Not like mine.” He picked up a book from the trolley and put it away on the shelf without looking; as if he knew exactly where it was supposed to be, “You were watching me instead of the board when Mr Adley had his back turned today.”
“I … um…” she blushed.
“I noticed you.” He smiled, “You thought I was sleeping. In a way I was.”
“For such a strict teacher, he doesn’t jump on you for your habits of crashing in his class.” She put away a few more books, “I find that unusual.”
“Well, he and I have an agreement.” He let her pass, “I show up, he doesn’t bother me.”
It didn’t seem to make sense to her, but she nodded anyway, “I see.”
“You don’t.” he looked straight at her, “You don’t see at all.”
She smiled, “I see you.” She pushed part of his long fringe behind one of his ears, pleased to see green eyes looking back at her, “Your eyes are beautiful.”
“That’s one thing you’ve noticed.” He muttered, “Another is that I don’t leave the school.”
She fiddled with the next book’s spine; pulling a bit of plastic off it that had been picked at by somebody else first, “Yeah. So, you’ve never had a tardy slip.”
“Nope.” He smiled a little, “Strange for a Goth to get such good grades and still sleep through every class.”
“Yeah, it is.” She put the book on the shelf and started along again, but his hand on her elbow stopped her, “I have to get this done.”
“What are you doing tonight?” his whisper filled her ear with cool air, “I’d like to take you out.”
She looked at his face. It was a few centimetres from hers as his longer right fringe touched her forehead. His eyes held her attention: “Nothing much. Where are we going to be?”
“What movie haven’t you seen?”
“The ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ is being played at the local drive-in.” she smiled, “I could drive…”
“I don’t want that. Too many of the other kids will be there.” He said, “It’s playing at the cinemas too. Let’s go to Garden City.”
“Okay.”
“No car… bus.” He looked her up and down in her uniform, “I’ve seen you in your Goth outfits. Wear one. You look hot.” With that, he leaned in close as though to kiss her, instead he smelled her hair and walked away.
She watched him as he left the library and wondered how he knew she was a Goth outside the school, then remembered he hadn’t given her a time; just a place.

At the Springwood Bus Station, she sat down on one of the seats at sunset, wondering if he was going to show. She had dressed the way he asked her to and after she checked her watch for the umpteenth time, she looked over at the electronic timetable to see when the next bus to Garden City was and Sean was sitting there on the seat underneath it. He had been watching her; but she hadn’t seen him show up and wondered where he came from. He stood and walked over and sat next to her.
“You look amazing.” He smiled, “And I remember the last time you wore that outfit was while you were in town once… you creeped out a lot of people.”
“You saw me in town?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded, “It was a Halloween night with your witchy friends.”
Lydia smiled remembering that night was two years previous and she had gone
rollerblading across the Storey Bridge, “I almost stacked it on the blades.”
Touching her hand with his fingertips, his dark lashes were a stark contrast against his pale skin, “You were amazing and beautiful.”
Lydia didn’t know what to make of him. She knew she liked him, but he was so mysterious and weird that she wondered if she had made the right choice about going on a date to see a movie like ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ with a Goth. Would it be fun or would he scare her?

Once inside the cinema, they sat near the middle where it was crowded with people in costume; so they both fitted in. The management said they wouldn’t put on the sprinklers as the water would ruin the seats. But people were encouraged to get up and dance and do the rest of the singing. The movie came on and the songs and dances were incredible. Lydia joined the crowd up on the stage and did ‘The Time Warp’ with Sean watching on grinning with pride and whooping at her open inhibition; he loved the way she was away from school. When she climbed over the seats to get back into her seat next to him, he assisted her so she wouldn’t fall and hurt herself.
Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he looked at her, “My God, you got great balance.”
“I skateboard.” She smiled.
He touched her face and held her gaze for a few more seconds as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the mouth. Lydia pulled back and pushed the arm of the chair up; letting him kiss her better, “You’re beautiful.” He mumbled into her ear as he nuzzled her neck; moving her curls, “Such a beauty, Venus.”
“Sean.” Her voice sounded distant as he inhale the scent of her blood through that thin layer of skin, “Sean.”
He looked at her, “Yeah?”
She looked around, “We’ve got an audience.”
As he cast his eyes around, the people around him were looking, perving, at him and her. They were waiting for what they were going to do next. Forget the movie; this was better – live – entertainment. Two Goths getting it on in the middle of a Gothic movie; what more could a square ask for? He didn’t want to scare her with his secret here; not with all these people around. Sitting up he signalled her closer to him and let her snuggle into him as she put her feet up on the chair, “Let them fantasise.”
She smiled at him: “This is a fun first date.”
“You’re not so much of square than I thought you were.” He kissed her temple, “You little rebel you.”
A tap on his left shoulder caused him to turn and he saw a few science geeks grinning at him: “What?”
“Aren’t you going to finish?” one asked.
He checked on Lydia and she was glued to the screen. Turning back, he let his demon’s face show; yellow eyes, the teeth and he let out a low growl. The three geeks all turned pale and as one jumped up and ran from the darkened theatre. By the time he had turned back to Lydia, his features had turned into the mortal that Lydia knew.

Too soon the movie was over and they exited the cinema. Sean and Lydia were holding hands and laughing at the antics of the audience during the movie. She had enjoyed herself. She turned on her mobile and there was a message from one of the geeks who had sat behind them on it. While she took the message, Sean went to the toilet. She looked around and found them at the snackbar.
“What?” she asked. The three split up as one talked to her the other two kept an eye out for Sean.
“Sean isn’t who you think he is.” Derrick said quickly, “Yeah, he’s Goth, but he’s no good.”
“Come on, bro.” she said, “We just watched a weird movie.”
Derrick’s forehead creased, “I wouldn’t do this if I wasn’t worried sis.” He checked around behind himself and motioned her closer; whispering: “He’s a vampire.”
She whispered: “That’s a myth. Go home. You’re being overprotective.”
“You’re my sister and I worry about you that’s all. I know what I saw.” Derrick looked behind her, “He’s coming, just be careful.”
“I know.” She hugged her brother and smiled, “Go home, the movie is over.”
Sean walked to her side as the three geeks left the cinema area, “Who was that?”
“Oh, my brother, Derrick. He’s a science geek and he was sitting behind us in there. I didn’t know he’d come along.” She shrugged, “Oh, well.”
“What did he say to you?”
“To be careful and that you were a vampire.” She laughed, “It’s such an unusual thing I didn’t know what to say.”
He nodded, “He’s right. You’re brother is right.”
“To be careful?”
“No…yes.” He looked at her, “But that’s what I am.”
Lydia shook her head: “No way. But that’s a myth… it’s… no way.” She took a few steps back and looked around for her brother.
“Oh, no, he’s left the building by now.” He followed her and quickly grabbed her arm, “Here I’ll take you home.”
Lydia got the look her brother called the ‘oh crap’ look; when things went pear-shaped on her. She wasn’t too sure how to handle this and wondered what would happen next; so she decided to go along with Sean for bit, to see if she’d have an opportunity to get away.

They got outside and walked to the bus terminal. Not many people were around. Derrick and his friends had caught the last bus and Sean made sure she wasn’t going anywhere soon. She wondered how she was going to get out of this horrible date.
“You can’t run.” He said.
“You’re too fast.”
“You can’t hurt me.”
“Inhuman strength.”
He touched her hair and she almost jumped out of her skin, “You were willing to be touched before you learnt about my secret. What’s so bad about it now?”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“You would never have come.” He whispered into her ear, “You would have left me in the Library with that trolley of books.”
She looked at him and found that his eyes were no longer green but yellow. Her fear pumped the blood through her veins faster as she saw the change that the demon made him take on, “Don’t I have a choice?”
“I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to sire you.”
Lydia burst out laughing: “Oh, that makes it so much better because?”
He kissed her cheek, “You’ll live forever.”
“But be hunted because we kill.”
“I kill criminals.”
“Gee, that’s sounds great… but they are somebody’s kids.” She shook her head and looked at him again, “And I don’t think I could do that.”
He touched her cheek and felt her relax again. His hypnosis was working as he kissed her softly. Dammit she smelt so delicious; why wouldn’t she let him take her now? “You are Venus, the most breath-taking goddess of beauty.”
Her mind swam, “Sean, I… please don’t do this.”
He kissed her again and felt her hands slide up his arms to his shoulders; knowing he had her again. Sean moved her hair and kissed and nuzzled her neck; feeling her relax more as he moved her to lay down on the bench. Now was the time to take her; now, and he did. He bit in quickly and easily into her soft pale neck. The artery allowed the blood out through the cut he had made; but this was different. He wasn’t killing her; he was releasing her from this mortal life to be with him for eternity. He wanted this – and when she realised it – she wanted it too.
He remembered when to stop; and could hear her heart slowing to a good rate and sliced his arm. Quickly, he looked around as he propped her up into a sitting position. He pushed his arm into her mouth and she drank deeply from it. It was painful, but it was a good pain. He watched as her demeanour changed from hesitant to loving. His girlfriend was here… Lydia… his lover, partner in crime; and his queen.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. For a few moments, she looked around. The sound of everything was turned up. It took a few seconds to accustom herself to tune it out, “What did you do?”
He touched her arm, “Lydia, we are one.”
Standing up, she backed away, “You… you. You didn’t!”
He smiled: “Your soul wanted it.”
“You didn’t think of asking my mind?”
“Hey, lady, you okay?” a man walked up slowly. He looked like he would help her. As he entered the light, his eyes slid all over her; undressing her.
“I’m fine.” She said, “You?”
“This guy bothering you?”
Suddenly, Sean backed off; knowing it was time she made her first kill. He sat down and watched, “Not anymore.”
She glanced over at him in disgust. While her attention was distracted, the man quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, “You’re on your own then.” He muttered.
“Get off me.” She hissed.
“Oh, dress like a hooker then expect men piss off and leave ya alone! Nah, not this little black duck!” he slapped her hard and Lydia fell to the ground where the guy climbed onto her and held her down. She could feel his hard-on through his jeans as he tried to pull up her dress, grabbed roughly at her breasts and pushed a hand into her face to hold her head down, “You little slut… come ‘ere!” he pulled her legs open, tearing her skirt and her underwear off as she fought.
Once she heard her clothes tear, Lydia glanced over at Sean and saw that he just sat there watching, waiting for her to do something. She grabbed a hold of the guy’s balls and gripped hard making him scream. As he threw his head back in his first reaction of agony, she grabbed a handful of hair on his head and yanked it to one side where she saw the vein pumping the blood of a good kill. Without a second thought, Lydia attacked him. His painful screams turned to fear. He tried to get off her, but she held onto him tightly; tighter by the balls than before.
“Honey.” Sean’s voice was next to her, “Save some for me.”
She turned and threw the writhing man off her. He hung onto his crotch and rolled onto his side sobbing as Sean grabbed him from behind, pulled him to his feet and turned him around to face him, “You can have the rest.” She laid there on the ground for a while catching her breath and pulling down her skirt.Sean looked at the man as the wound Lydia made bled freely, “You just had to pick on her, didn’t you?”
“You weren’t about to do anything.” The man whispered, “Now, she bit me.”His green eyes regarded the mortal, “Wasn’t it fun?”The mortal gave Sean an incredulous look, “Are you crazy? No, I’m in pain.”
“Oh, sorry. Here let me put you out of your misery.” He grabbed the man’s jacket by the lapels and finished him off; dropping the corpse as the heartbeat stopped. He walked to Lydia and put his hand out to her, “You’ve done your first kill. Very good; didn’t think you’d do it so soon.”She sat up and looked at him: “Why didn’t you help me?”
“A first kill is something you do on your own.” He said, “I’ll take you home now.” He assisted her to her feet, “You skirt is torn. We have to do something about that.”
“His jeans.” She said, “We’re the same height.” She pointed out.
“Good point. But we don’t rob the dead.” He said, “Come on, you can fix that one, can’t you? I like that skirt. Makes you look sexy.” He put out his hand, “I’ll take you home.”
“Which one? Mine or yours?”
“Where do you wish to go?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
He sat her down on the seat where he had sired her: “If you go home – your real home – you’ll have a hard time getting to school. But if you live at the school with me; we will be okay.”
“How do you survive the days?”
He blushed, “I have the teachers’ texts in the basement. They keep them down there for when we have tests. I study up on the answers and then I get assignments from the teachers given to me in class while I read my own textbook and read some books at the library.” He stood again, “Come on, I’ll show you.”
“I don’t know. What if I don’t want to do this?”
He laughed: “You’re doin’ this. There’s no going back to being what you were. You’re not human anymore.”
She sat there realising that her brother was probably the only one who could help her. But then, she could kill Sean if she really wanted to, “Could I get some stuff from my house? I just want to make the basement look a bit like it’s mine too.”
He nodded: “Sure, but be quick.”
They arrived at her house and Lydia packed some things in an overnight bag as fast as she could. Then, she visited her brother in his room where he was typing up something on his computer. The curtain was pulled and so were the blinds.
He barely got out: “Shit, Lyddie.” When she covered his mouth.
“Shut up.” She whispered, “I gotta go away for bit. Tell Mum and Dad I’m staying at one of the girl’s places, okay?”
He nodded with her hand over his mouth still, “You were right about Sean. But I’ll take care of him.”
He pulled hand off his mouth and stood, “You cut their heads off.”
“What if he’s not the master?”
“You’re in deeper shit than you think.”
“I love ya brother.” She kissed his head and walked out of his geeky room. This time, it didn’t bother her that he was a geek. This time, she was going to really miss him if Sean killed her. She had to come up with a plan to get this vamp; but it would take time. Time was certainly on her side now that she was immortal. First thing’s first: move in with the bastard and then plan on killing him.

If she’s stuck as a bloodsucker? Well, she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.