Say Hello to the Night

One of Us

The screams sounded distant, compared to the roar of the waves that crashed endlessly against the shore. Glimpses of light snaked their way through the poorly maintained wood, yet David didn't want to be elsewhere. Hidden under their beloved hunting ground lying on a blanket looking up at the world and walking over them were a 400-year-old rebel and the woman of his dreams. 

"This is nice, I could get used to this." Dawn let a contented sigh leave her lips as she was laid out on David's Chest.

"This isn't nice, but it is ours. Sometimes I wish I could give you more." Running his gloved hands over her curled locks he smiled down at her.

"At least I can give you me." 

With that simple phrase, he had taken her breath away. Dawn turned to him gently cupping his face in her hands. The soft smile was still on his face instead of his usual smirk. They both leaned in for a kiss, it wasn't rough but full of all the words the pair couldn't bare to speak, in fear of tainting this perfect memory in years to come. 

They were so lost in the moment they didn't feel the eyes locked on to them, hungry and predatory. 

"Well well, boys we found us one of those punk shits that think they own this beach." A tall tan built man stood in front of 3 smaller males, all nearly identical in personality. All following the leader. Dawn couldn't help but jump not realizing anyone had been watching them. 

"Does she really look like a punk to you?" David's smirk was back and Dawn couldn't help but shove him.

"Really David is now the time?" a panicked huff escaped her mouth and she tried to back up behind him. 

"When it's just one of you and your bitc-" A sick gargle made Dawn's eyes grow wide. David had his hand roughly wrapped around the blonde's neck. His large legs dangled from the ground as he was lifted against gravity in a doll-like manner. Darkness filled David's eyes as the crunching of the man's windpipe mixed with old-fashioned kiddie music. 

Dawn hadn't even realized David had moved. 

"You just had to go and bring her into this huh?" David's rage was radiating off of him, as his face morphed into the boney hollow monster that lay unfeed and hungry. " You will never insult her again." And with a sharp crack, the man's life was over, his neck bent at an awkward angle.

"David.." Dawn watched wide-eyed from the blanket the two shared a romantic moment on only moments earlier and the body dropped to a lifeless pile of wet flesh and broken bones. 

The other three rushed David as he turned to look at her with a pained face. It was too late to stop now, the monster was out and he was hungry. 

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO TREVOR!'' the man who could only be the second in command screamed, the voices not traveling far as he pulled a knife out. 

"I kept a promise. The same one I'm going to make to you." David launched himself into the man's neck, blood sprayed in an inhuman way as the man hopelessly dug his knife into David's flesh. Fresh blood with a fight was David's weakness the adrenaline filled his body it was like a perfect glass of whiskey, and he drank it in droves. 

Dawn watched in horror as the knife became wedged into his flesh, so she did the first thing she could think of, she picked up a heavy piece of driftwood that had been discarded underneath the boardwalk and held it like a bat in her hands jumping in front of David as he drank.

When the goons approached her, she had no problem whacking the closest one over the head with all her might, a dull crack sounded out as everything faded into slow motion, David had seen it all, he had watched her give up her innocence for him. She willingly gave him a part of her soul she could never get back. 

Dawn didn't see David catch the other boy before he got away, she didn't see him take the driftwood from her shakey hand with ease, or move the bodies from her view.  She just stood frozen in place. David watched her cautiously covered in the blood of the man she killed for him, and even covered in the wet metallic substance she still seemed to glow. 

"...I thought I was going to lose you...I just got you..." Her voice cracked as she whispered to him. 

"Hey it's okay sunshine, we did what we had to do..."He reached out for her pulling her deep into his arms and holding her trying to soothe her.

"I understand if this changes things... between us..I never want you to feel like you have to do things like that..." He slowly backed away taking out a cigarette and lighting it. 

Without a single word, Dawn took the cigarette and breathed in deeply. 

Slowly she let the smoke leave her lips with a small tired smile, eyes tearing up. 

" Did you really think there was going to be anyone after you David?" He wore a small somber smile on his face even as she cried before he carried her to the beach. Gently he placed them both in the water, letting the water wash away the blood and the sand that had caked them both. In the far distance, you could see the boys standing in the water, all of them in support of Dawn,  all washing away their own blood from the night. 

Climbing from David's arms she took her to stand in the water looking up to the bright full moon and letting old a harrowing scream, losing her family, losing her sense of self, all the rage all the trauma everything was released as she screamed into the depths of the moon. Soon all the boys joined in whooping at the moon, all but David who watched in wonder.

She was one of them. Totally and completely. 

It was time for her to drink and she was completely ready.

Micheal watched the group from the dock... eyeing the strange girl the boys seemed to dance around and the icy blond man that seemed to twirl her around in the water. It gave him chills. As he watched the group star watched him. She wanted him, she craved the normal American hot-blooded man that had to watch his little brother and help his mom. Star wanted normal. 

It was something she was never going to get. But she was going to fight for it.