The Forgotten: A Vampire Story

by Clary, Michael

  The Forgotten

  A Vampire Story

  Michael Clary

  The Forgotten: A Vampire Story

  The Forgotten Book 1

  Copyright © 2020 by Michael Clary

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover art by Christian Bentulan

  Editing by Matthew Baugh

  This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events is purely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

  The Forgotten

  A Vampire Story

  Derry

  I crawled out from under the empty house about twenty minutes too early. The sun was low in the sky, and the muted light washed over all the nearby houses in a soft red glow. I kept to the shadows. Even the soft light would be too much for my skin.

  A few houses over, I heard the sound of children laughing. It was a pleasant sound, but it was also a warning sound. I wasn’t alone. It wasn’t quite my time.

  I had to wait. Nobody paid me any attention as I stood underneath the streetlight and smiled at the moon.

  I couldn’t linger.

  There were still a few lingering humans. If they got a good look at me, they’d panic. I couldn’t allow that to happen. I needed to leave before any of them even began to wonder about me.

  I started walking.

  My pace was light but fast. In just a few moments, I was on a different street, and moving towards the city. I was hungry, not unbearably so, but it had been a few days since I’d last fed. You could see the signs of my hunger on my face and body. I was beginning to wither.

  On the outskirts of the city, I ran into a group of teenagers. None of them struck my fancy, but I certainly struck theirs. They tried to engage me, but I ignored them. Soon, their pleas for attention grew louder and turned insulting. My younger brother would have ended the lot of them right then and there, but I normally didn’t bother with such things. Humans of any age could often be petty and childish.

  Soon the streets grew too crowded, and I slipped between two buildings to escape the crowds. The alley was darker, not a place to be walking alone. I was tempting fate, but on this particular evening, fate wasn’t interested in playing my game.

  I climbed to the top of the nearest five-story building and looked out over the edge. There was a nightclub nearby, and I could hear the thumping music traveling over the wind. It had to be a weekend. There were too many people out and about.

  I needed to move. There was nothing for me on the rooftop, but the night sky felt cool and soothing on my exposed skin. I closed my eyes and tilted my head to stare at the moon. I briefly fell in love with the stars, and then I was gone.

  Well, not really gone, but I was certainly incorporeal. A black mist. A dark fog. Call it whatever you like. I can change forms at a moment’s notice and effectively vanish off the face of the earth.

  As a dark fog, I shot out across the sky, letting the music of the nightclub act like a beacon. I took human form on the rooftop of the building across the street. Once there, I opened up my senses.

  I saw everything. Quick movements caught my eye the easiest, but I also noticed colors. Most of the young men and women waiting to get in the nightclub were wearing dark colors. The women wore revealing dresses, and even from here, I caught the faint scent of their perfumed skin.

  The hunt was exciting me, and my appetite was responding. A few hours went by, and a beautiful young lady and her boyfriend made their way to the doorman of the nightclub. I listened intently as they were both turned away.

  The boyfriend grumbled, rumbled, and threatened as he retreated. His fake I.D. was held tightly in his hand, but it was the girl’s reaction that interested me the most. She was amused and enjoying her boyfriend’s temper tantrum.

  She was wearing a short skirt, and she was showing off her midriff. I smelled expensive perfume, and her hair was soft and shiny. All in all, the young woman was too attractive for her date. I got the sense that they hadn’t been together very long.

  I followed them as they walked away from the nightclub. I listened to the boyfriend complain, and the girlfriend hum quietly to herself as she stepped over a wet spot on the sidewalk.

  I wanted to get closer.

  I went down to street level just a block or so ahead of the young couple. I sat at the entrance of a closed building as they passed me. Neither of them took notice of me, but they did quicken their pace, if only slightly.

  I moved another two blocks ahead of them and crossed the street. This time the girlfriend noticed me.

  “Isn’t that the same kid we passed by earlier?” The girlfriend asked.

  “Probably just wearing the same clothes,” the boyfriend answered. “Spooky looking kid.”

  I smiled as they entered a crowd of people all walking in the same direction, and I continued to follow them. I only needed a moment, but I wasn’t positive I wanted her. Sure, she was pretty, and I liked the way she smelled, but there was something disconnected about her.

  A few more moments, and I realized that she was on something. I watched as she stumbled ever so slightly and slurred her words. The boyfriend didn’t notice. He didn’t seem to notice much. He was concerned about finding another nightclub that they’d be able to get into. One in which security at the door wasn’t so tight.

  I let the girl see me.

  It was quick, just a flash of my face as I passed her. This time she startled and grabbed at her boyfriend’s hand. It was the first time I saw any true familiarity between the two of them.

  “What’s wrong?” The boyfriend asked.

  “That kid,” the girlfriend answered. “I just saw him again.”

  “Where?”

  “He just passed us.”

  “I didn’t see anything,”

  “Well I did,” the girlfriend said.

  Instead of walking, the boyfriend ushered the both of them to the side of the sidewalk. I laughed quietly to myself as he attempted to take control of the situation. Both of them angrily watched the passerby’s as if they were ready for a fight.

  “If that kid’s fucking with us,” the boyfriend said. “I’ll kick his dirty little teenie-bopper ass.”

  I waited until both of them felt silly. It didn’t take long. In short order, both of them were shaking their heads in confusion. The sidewalk was empty. The young couple was standing all alone.

  “Okay,” the boyfriend said. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Stupid kid,” the girlfriend said. “He was weird looking.”

  “Yeah he was,” the boyfriend agreed.

  I suddenly wanted both of them.

  That shouldn’t happen, at least not in the same evening. I started following them again. The boyfriend stupidly wanted to cut through an alley to their car, but the girlfriend wasn’t having it.

  Finally, the boyfriend threw up his hands in defeat and avoided the alley. He was upset though, he made that obvious with his body language and the way he turned his back on his girlfriend as he set off down the sidewalk.

  I struck quickly.

  Within a second, I had a full grip on the girlfriend’s thick mop of hair. I ran down the alley so fast her feet weren’t even touching the ground. I only stopped for a better grip when I felt her scalp beginning to tear.

  Within moments we were halfway up the side of a tall building. I heard the boyfriend finally realize that his girlfriend was missing. I heard him cry out her name, softly at first, and then louder once the panic really started to set in.
/>
  I bit deeply into the girlfriend’s neck, gave my jaws a twist, and then swallowed against the oncoming gush of blood. The boyfriend ran into the alley below me, and I felt the girl reach her arm out towards him before she lost consciousness.

  I took my time draining the body. The boyfriend eventually called the police. Everyone was searching the alley, but they weren’t going to find anything.

  I was in a good mood as I disposed of the body. The fresh blood was flowing into all my nooks and crevices. I almost felt alive.

  I wanted some fun, and fun wasn’t too hard to find in Southern California. I headed over to Huntington Beach. The pier and nearby streets were blocked off and crowded with tourists and locals alike.

  I pulled up my hoodie and joined the throngs of people, never allowing anyone to get too close. There were food carts, sale booths full of various trinkets, and loud music. My ears were sensitive, but I enjoyed the thumping rhythm. I also enjoyed watching the various drunks moving in and out of the bars. I loved drunk people. They were often my favorite people to watch.

  My brother was here.

  I could sense his calming presence closer to the water. I hadn’t seen him in a week or so, and I wanted to say hello. Therefore, I slowly began to track him. I took my time. I wasn’t in a hurry, and knowing Lorcan, neither was he.

  I found him sitting near multiple groups of people. He was alone, of course, and he was watching a group of young boys push and shove each other around in an attempt to impress all the nearby girls.

  I took a seat right next to him, and Lorcan rested his head on my shoulder.

  “Where’ve you been?” Lorcan asked after I wrapped an arm around him.

  “You know me,” I answered. “I keep busy.”

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Lorcan said with a smile.

  “What are your plans this evening?” I asked.

  “I’d like to visit the store,” Lorcan answered. “There’s a new game I’d like to play. Will you go with me?”

  “Inside a store?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Lorcan answered.

  “That’s dangerous,” I said.

  “That’s why I’m asking my older brother to go with me,” Lorcan said.

  An argument broke about between two teenage boys not far from us. One of the girls in their group of about ten moved a bit away from them in disgust. I watched as she caught sight of Lorcan and me out of the corner of her eye. She then did a double-take and I pulled my hoodie down over my face just a little bit more.

  “We’re in the shadows,” Lorcan said. “She finds you attractive.”

  “They often do,” I agreed.

  A band started tuning their instruments on a stage not far away. The electric hum of the guitars made me happy, and I stood up excitedly.

  “Always the music lover,” Lorcan teased.

  “Indeed,” I smiled.

  The girl that noticed me had broken even farther away from her group of friends. She was still staring at us, and that made me incredibly uncomfortable.

  “What’s your name?” The girl asked just a little bit too loudly.

  I pretended that I couldn’t hear her.

  “That never works,” Lorcan laughed.

  The girl was moving closer to us. I could hear her heartbeat speeding up at the prospect of speaking to a stranger. Luckily for her, I wasn’t interested. I only wanted to spend time with my brother.

  “Hey!” The girl damn near shouted. “What’s your name?”

  “None of your business,” I responded.

  My rudeness caught the girl off guard. She wasn’t used to boys not wanting to speak with her, and I could see why. She was rather attractive in a fake sort of humorless way.

  “Why such a jerk?” The girl asked as she moved closer to us.

  I didn’t like that at all. Her arguing friends were beginning to take notice. I motioned for Lorcan to come with me. Together we moved away from the nosey girl and into the crowds of people.

  “Still a charmer with the ladies I see,” Lorcan teased.

  “One of us has to be,” I teased back as I moved us closer to the stage.

  Lorcan was laughing, and his laughter was contagious. We were standing off to the side of the stage and enjoying the music. Most of the people were determined to stand in front of the stage, so we were relatively undisturbed.

  The stray cat found Lorcan and began meowing loudly for attention. Lorcan scooped up the big cat and snuggled the animal in his arms while it purred contentedly.

  “He’s well-fed,” I said.

  “There are lots of rats near the beach,” Lorcan said as I reached out and scratched at the cat’s neck. “Be careful you don’t hurt him.”

  “I’m not going to hurt him,” I said.

  “Sometimes you don’t know your own strength,” Lorcan said as he passed the cat over to me.

  The cat purred as I nuzzled my face into his fur.

  “I’m better with cats than you are,” I said.

  “That’s not true,” Lorcan said.

  “There’s another stage at the other end of the street,” I announced in a quick subject change.

  “Your friend is back,” Lorcan said.

  I turned to look and saw the pretty girl slowly approaching. I almost laughed at her determination, but I really wasn’t in the mood for company. Before she could say anything to us, I looked her straight into the eyes until she became confused and babbling.

  “Let’s go,” Lorcan said. “I want to play that game.”

  “I’d like to hear the other band.”

  Lorcan twisted up his handsome face and peeked around the throng of people to the stage at the other end of the street. He wasn’t interested in listening to another band, and if I didn’t leave with him soon, he’d leave me behind and go alone.

  “Okay,” I said as we moved away from the crowds of people to the darkest parts of an alleyway.

  Both of us scaled the building with ease. Once we were on the roof, we looked out at the skyline in front of us. The ocean was a living breathing creature, and the city seemed to be just as alive with its millions of moving lights and sounds.

  “Where is your game?” I asked.

  “Circuit-Mart,” Lorcan answered before both of us were in the air and moving towards our destination.

  We touched down in the parking lot of the large warehouse-type building. The parking lot was only about half-full, and I did a quick scan for anything out of the ordinary. I heard something about four rows away, and so did my brother.

  “Do you think?” Lorcan asked.

  “Wait,” I cautioned.

  The two heartbeats were excited. Much too excited to be sitting in a parking lot. What was going on? I listened in just a bit more intently and heard heavy breathing. Lorcan saw me relax and smiled.

  “It’s nothing to worry about,” I said.

  “I wasn’t worried,” Lorcan said.

  “You looked worried,” I teased. “You’ve been living the quiet life for too long. You’re going to lose your edge, and a hunter is going to walk right up behind you someday.”

  “As if a hunter could get anywhere near me with you around,” Lorcan said.

  “Yeah,” I said. “You’re lucky to have me. Did you still want to play your game?”

  “Of course I do,” Lorcan said.

  “Then why haven’t you taken a single step towards the store?” I asked.

  “You hush,” Lorcan said as he strode mightily towards the front of the store.

  There was a homeless person near the side of the building, but he had nothing to fear from us. At least not at the moment. I entered the Circuit-Mart first, with my hoodie pulled up over my head, and low down over my eyes.

  Lorcan did the same with his hoodie and followed me inside the store. I didn’t exactly know where I was headed, and the bright lights threw me off. Still, I managed to find a game console attached to a widescreen television at the back of the store.

  Lorcan’s eyes wen
t wide as he took in the object of his affection.

  There were two unattended children already playing the game. Lorcan excitedly watched their progress. I looked around the store and scanned with all my senses. There were a good twenty people inside the store and another ten in the back rooms.

  Lorcan was standing too close to the unattended children, and they quickly became uncomfortable in his presence. The worried looks on their faces as they took in his torn and dirty clothes made me smile, and then they were both gone in search of their parents.

  My brother began playing his game. I watched for a moment. I saw swords and monsters, and then I lost interest. It was time for me to entertain myself in the various isles surrounding Lorcan and his game.

  Our peaceful evening was interrupted thirty minutes later, when an employee approached Lorcan and asked him to finish up his game so that others could have a turn. The employee confused me. There was nobody else anywhere near the game console.

  “Go away,” I whispered.

  The employee turned to look at me.

  “How old are the two of you?” The employee asked. “You’re not supposed to be in here without an adult if you’re under eighteen.”

  Lorcan ignored him completely and continued to play his game.

  “We’re just playing a game,” I said. “Leave us alone.”

  “You’re dirty,” the employee said. “You both have your hoods pulled up, and you’re both behaving strangely. I think it’s time for you two to leave unless you plan on buying something.”

  I looked at the employee. If I had to guess, he was probably in his late twenties. I didn’t like him. I didn’t like his superior attitude, and I certainly didn’t like the way he was creeping up on my brother.

  “Lorcan,” I said in a quiet voice. “Let’s go.”

  My brother turned and looked at me, and then he looked up at the employee. Something about what he saw in my brother’s face rattled the man, and he involuntarily took a few steps backward.

  There was too much light in the store.

  We were too exposed.

  I laughed at his reaction, grabbed a handful of DVD’s from a bin, and then ran out of the store. Lorcan was right next to me, and both of us were laughing as we exited the store with the employee chasing right after us.