“Yeah, I have never seen that one.” He shrugged a shoulder and grinned.
“I swear, you’re from another planet.” That was true, and his grin grew wider as hers did the same, stretching across her face.
So beautiful, he thought.
After a few more rounds, everyone eventually left except for Rana and Brenik. Rana’s roommate Josie went to stay the night at Jacob’s house, who may or may not be her boyfriend. Rana said she could never tell.
She turned on a movie, and Brenik sat back against the couch, too distracted by her nearness to focus on the screen.
He placed his hand on the suede cushion, fingers pressing down into it. The barest touch of her skin met his.
It wasn’t just the physical aspects of her he wanted—he yearned for all of her. But the all of her he craved was not agreeing with him, because that terrible hunger was trying to find its way out. If he didn’t leave soon, Brenik feared the same thing would happen to her that had happened with Jeremy. Then all of her would become nothing, and he would not be okay with that.
“Rana, I have to leave,” he said hoarsely, already striding for the door.
“Oh, all right. Let me drive you home.” Disappointment filled her voice, but he couldn’t focus on that right now. His body felt too hot, and his heart beat more rapidly than it ever had.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s right down the street—only a ten-minute walk,” he stuttered.
“I’m taking you home,” she said firmly.
“I’ve got it—I’m a grown man—and thanks for having me over tonight.” He tried to end the conversation as quickly as possible without it coming out too harsh.
“Sure.” Her face fell.
His hands felt twitchy, but he didn’t want to leave her like that. Before he left, he spun back around and said, “You know, your ex-boyfriend was a fucking idiot.” Reaching out toward her lovely face, he brushed the pad of his thumb against her tiny mole.
“Do you want to come over tomorrow?” he asked.
“I’d love that. I can come a little after five.” She smiled at him, the grim expression melting away. Brenik wanted to stay, but he had to hurry up and leave.
“Good night, Rana.” He dropped his hand from her face and turned around without looking back, for fear he would do something he’d regret.
Brenik’s eyes flickered as he walked down the stairs, hands trembling against his jeans—Jeremy’s jeans. He brushed away that thought. Walk. Walk. Walk. He had to tell himself over and over to keep on walking. He had to feed—now.
He knew. He knew what he would do this time and where he would go, because Jeremy was the wrong person to have stolen life from. Even though the aftermath had helped Brenik, Jeremy’s face haunted him at night. Brenik was nothing but a stranger to him, and Jeremy had been kind enough to invite him into his home. And then look what happened.
Brenik shook the regret away.
Instead of turning right to head home, he took a left. Tall trees bordered the open area, and he lifted a branch out of the way, ducking under it. The city park was dim, and there were several people asleep up ahead—without anything or anyone.
An older man of around fifty with a graying beard sat at the edge of an iron bench. His head leaned all the way back with his mouth wide open, soft gurgling snores escaping.
Reaching a finger out, Brenik tapped him softly on the shoulder. He didn’t stir. The putrid combination of alcohol and filth reeking from the man’s body filled his nostrils.
Scowling, Brenik shook the man’s shoulder. The stranger’s eyes fluttered opened as he stirred awake, his body flinching to the side when he saw Brenik hovering over him.
“Hey, man, I was seeing if you could help me with something,” Brenik said.
The bearded man squinted one of his eyes, and his whole face contorted into a confused expression. “What do you need help with?” he asked and scratched the side of his balding head.
“I was in the forest earlier and somehow lost my car keys. If you help me search, I’ll give you fifty bucks.” Brenik patted his back pocket and tilted his head toward the wooded area.
“Even if we don’t find them?” the man asked, perking up.
“Yeah, but we need to hurry. I have work in the morning and don’t want to be out here all night.” Brenik could feel himself getting antsier, and if the man didn’t come with him soon, he was going to have to drain him right there on the spot.
Scanning the area, Brenik made sure the few other people around were still asleep, and then he motioned the bearded man forward.
After walking for about a minute into the wooded area, Brenik couldn’t take it anymore and whirled around. Before the man could yell, Brenik pushed a hand against the man’s mouth and dove his already protruding canines down into his victim’s neck.
A small chirping sound escaped the man’s throat, his heavy breaths fading as Brenik drank. This wasn’t like before—not the least bit lust filled—but the taste was ever blissful. Even with the grime of the man’s neck pressing against Brenik’s lips.
The smell of the dirt and the odor from the homeless man was making Brenik sick, but he couldn’t stop because the blood was wonderous. The taste charged every nerve throughout his body and filled him with complete repletion.
When the last drop was in his mouth, Brenik gently lay down the body. The blood tediously sat in his mouth, and he wanted to swallow it, but he held it there.
Not many people ventured into those parts of the forest, but he dragged the body farther back anyway. He found a large bush and rolled the man underneath to cover him completely.
A hint of remorse ran through Brenik again, but he didn’t know what else he could have done. It was either the old man who had nothing or Rana by accident. Brenik felt satisfied with the choice he had made.
He ran the rest of the way back to the cabin, hurrying to his bedroom. Before glancing up at the portrait, Brenik held his hand in front of his open mouth and let the blood drizzle into his palm.
Running his fingertip against the wet liquid, Brenik lifted his index finger and pushed it onto the painting.
The bright red fingerprint sat there for a moment, but then turned lighter and lighter before it vanished. Brenik shifted his eyes from the portrait to the mirror, watching as the tiredness of his eyes faded away and his face seemed to tighten back to its pristine beauty.
Attempting to smile at his reflection in the mirror, Brenik knew now how he would be able to live a life and get what he wanted. Even though it would eat at him.
14
Bray
“You are home early,” Bray said to Wes as he walked through the living room door.
“I’m on my way to pick up Luca, and I wanted to see if you’d come eat with us at the park. If you want to?” Wes asked.
Bray loved going to the park. Most of the time she would sit in the trees and watch families spending time together or people walking their dogs. The day and nightlife of the park were literally like night and day—after dark, the people who had no homes would gather and seek companionship.
Clapping her hands together, she smiled brightly. “What are we going to eat?”
Wes rolled his eyes. “Luca wants McDonald’s. I can’t stomach it ninety percent of the time, but we take turns picking where to eat. Maybe I should tell him it’s your turn.”
She thought about it for a moment. “I’ll choose McDonald’s. They have great fries.”
Wes shook his head and gave a false huff. “Overly salted fries, but McDonald’s it is. You know, this two against one thing is getting out of hand already.”
“Would bringing the left-over pie cheer you up?” There was still half of the blueberry pie from yesterday left. It had tasted magical.
“You’re back on my good side for reminding me about that.” Wes grabbed the pie from the kitchen, while Bray watched his back muscles flex under his tight white shirt. It was hard for her to not stare at him when he wasn’t looking.
&nbs
p; Before Wes and Bray could pick up Luca, they had to wait in the car line for a long time first. Bray chatted away to Wes, who mainly listened instead of doing any talking.
“What would you rather have happen: parachute not open as you fall from the sky or boat sink in the middle of an ocean with no life jacket?” she asked, propping her chin in between her thumb and index finger, tilting her head at him.
Wes’s eyebrows furrowed. “What the hell kind of question is that?”
“It’s a what if question.”
“To answer your morbid question, since I’m scared of heights, it would have to be the ocean one.”
She thought about it for a second before giving a reply. “That’s hypocritical, though.”
Shaking his head and tossing up his arms, he laughed. “How is that hypocritical?”
“The ocean itself is thousands of feet deep. So you being in the middle of the sea is the same as being high up off the ground.”
An eyebrow shot up on Wes’s forehead. “What? That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. There’s still water between you and the ocean floor, so I wouldn’t be falling to my death.”
“You’re right. You would slowly be sinking to your death with unknown creatures right below your feet.” Bray held up her hands and creepily wiggled her fingers in his face.
Wes grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, causing a gasp to escape her mouth. “Would they grab me like this?” He smiled broadly.
They stared at each other for a moment, Wes’s eyes falling from her eyes to her mouth and right back up.
The door to the backseat opened, and Wes dropped her hand as Luca entered the car. Bray cleared her throat and leaned back. “Yes, that’s exactly what they would do.”
“Hey, guys.” Luca beamed and buckled himself up.
Bray craned her neck around the seat to peer at Luca as she reached for the door handle. “Do you want to sit up front?”
“No way, you can have shotgun.” Then he tapped Wes on the shoulder. “McDonald’s?”
“McDonald’s,” Wes replied, and shot Luca a disgusted face with his tongue sticking out.
When they arrived at the park, Luca grabbed the bag of food, Wes got the drinks, and Bray carried the pie. The food had smelled so good in the car.
There was already a crowd of people at the park. Two appeared to be flying kites since the wind was blowing the right speed. They waved back and forth in the sky. As Bray found herself watching the diamond shapes, her head seemed to be swaying from side to side along with them.
Wes glanced at her and then at the sky, cocking an eyebrow upward. “You going to kite dance all day?”
“Maybe.” She found it rather calming.
“Okay, I’ll watch right along with you, but let’s eat first.” He looked at the McDonald’s bag in Luca’s hand and crinkled his nose. “Or maybe not.” Luca was already digging in and stuffing a handful of fries in his mouth, rubbing the salt and grease on the side of his shorts.
Bray fished her hand inside the bag and grabbed a fry, plopping it into her mouth as she took a seat under a large oak tree beside Wes and Luca. The thick branches were outstretched and provided the right amount of shade.
Wes pulled out his Big Mac and ate it like he had never eaten before.
“I thought you didn’t like McDonald’s?” Bray challenged.
“I don’t, but I’m ravenous.” He took another huge bite of the burger.
“He says he doesn’t like McDonald’s,” Luca piped in, “but between you and me, Bray, I know he loves it.”
“You got me, Lu. I wanted to keep the truth away, but I’ll admit the sauce in the Big Mac gets me every time,” Wes confessed with a mouthful of hamburger.
Bray finished her chicken nuggets and set the box aside. With the plastic utensils in the McDonald’s bag, she used the knife to cut them each a slice of pie.
After she had her first taste of it yesterday, she decided blueberry pie was her new favorite. And today, she realized as she swallowed the last bite, it was still going to stay that way.
Luca reached for the paper bag and stuffed his trash inside. “Wes, I’m going to go swing for a while. Is that okay?”
“Sure, Lu. We’ll be walking around if you need us.” Wes pointed at the surrounding track.
Bray watched Luca walk off to sit beside a blonde girl, and he immediately started chatting with her. So, that’s why he wanted to go swing. Bray smiled at the cute scene, watching as he kept brushing his bangs away from one of his eyebrows.
When they had finished eating, Bray and Wes threw away their trash except for the drinks, before they walked the dirt track. She looked up and the two kites from earlier weren’t flying anymore, but a new one was in their place—a red Chinese dragon.
Turning to Wes, Bray studied him for a second. “Were you like Luca when you were younger?”
Wes stretched his neck out to glance at Luca on the swings. “With the ladies?”
She giggled and swatted his arm.
Wes chuckled softly. “Luca’s a lot more outgoing than I was. In fact, I was sort of nerdy throughout elementary and junior high.”
“What changed?” She couldn’t imagine Wes ever being nerdy.
“I grew taller, better hair—that’s about it.” He dramatically brushed a lock of hair behind his ear and smiled.
The top of Bray’s head reached his shoulder, so she supposed he was tall. She wondered why he didn’t have a woman in his life now. At first when she met him, she could understand why—he had been grumpy that first night. But now he wasn’t so bad.
“So, why don’t you have a girlfriend?”
“Hmm?” he asked as he took a sip of his soda, smiling as he drank.
“Shut up, you heard me.”
Still smiling, he pulled the drink away from his mouth. “You don’t want to hear about my non-existent romantic life.”
“I do.” She really did.
“Well … in high school I dated around, but my first year of college I had a serious girlfriend. Once my grandpa passed away, though, I didn’t have time for it—or for her—from trying to get everything settled with Luca. She didn’t quite understand that.” He shrugged.
“What a jerk.” Bray didn’t understand who wouldn’t want to be around Luca.
“In her defense, when we started dating I didn’t have a kid, but then suddenly I did, and we were both only nineteen.” Bray still didn’t understand. She was twenty now, which wasn’t much older, and didn’t find it a big deal.
“You haven’t been with anyone since then?”
Wes’s face flushed, and he looked down when he answered. “So, there have been times when Luca has stayed the night somewhere … when I’ve seen some women, but nothing over the past six months.” That didn’t seem too long ago to Bray.
“Mine was a year ago after Ruth passed away,” she rushed out. “Only I’ve never had a boyfriend, just that one time.”
Wes’s eyes widened in complete surprise. “You mean you—”
Something shoved Bray from behind before he could finish his sentence, her drink dropping from her hand as she hit the ground. Tight fists pounded at her back, and she screamed from the pain. As she tried to flip to her back, the weight was lifted off of her.
Breathing unevenly, Bray rolled over and stood to see Wes restrain a man, securing his arms behind his back. The man had a gray beard and wore dirty ragged clothing. His lips were pulled back into a sneer, and he was growling.
“Bray, go get the security guard at the front,” Wes grunted out, barely able to contain the man. He was straining against Wes, shaking and eyeing her with rage. The fingers behind his back flexed and twitched, inhumanly.
The crazed man’s head twisted back to Wes. There was dried blood around two puncture wounds on his filthy neck—similar to the other man, named Jeremy Jones, who had been shot in their neighborhood.
Before Bray could dart off to the front, the man bucked and writhed frantically, causing Wes to lo
se his grip. The man took off, growling. Wes had already started to run after him, but Bray wasn’t going to let Wes go after the lunatic alone.
“Stay back,” Wes yelled at her.
Bray was fast, faster than Wes. She picked up her speed and surged forward, pushing them both to the ground. The insane man jerked roughly, and Bray couldn’t hold him down. He leaped up, knocking her to the dirt, and took off again.
“What the hell? Are you okay?” Wes panted as he helped her off the ground. “What just happened?”
She had no clue, but the adrenaline was still there. “I’m okay, let’s hurry and find Luca.” Bray scanned the area until she found his small frame.
As they approached Luca, he was still chatting away with the blonde girl on the swing. “Luca, we have to go now,” Wes called, motioning for him to hurry up.
“Already?” Luca asked, disappointment written all over his face.
“Now, Luca!”
Luca gave a solemn sigh and said something to the girl before coming up to them. “What’s going on, Wes? We don’t—”
“Not now. Bray’s hurt,” Wes said hurriedly.
Bray waved him off. “I’m fine.”
Wes looked past Bray and sped off. Turning around, she spotted the security guard. Wes was already ranting and pointing in the direction that the deranged man had gone off in.
Walking back toward them, Wes looked pissed. “I don’t even know why some of these people have jobs if they don’t want to do the damn work. The security guard said he was going to search around and write up a report. He didn’t appear too worried about it, and he said he hadn’t seen the guy.” Wes turned to her. “Seriously, Bray, are you okay?”
“I told you I’m fine, Wes. Also, the guy isn’t a real security guard. They just volunteer during the day hours.”
Ignoring the part about the security guard, Wes lifted the back of her shirt up a little to examine her skin. “Your back’s red, and it may even bruise.” Her back did feel sore but not too bad.
“I’ll be okay, but I think we should go home.”
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