The Man Who Dies for Fun

Wings

Chapter Nineteen: Wings

"Paul! Open up!"

I knocked furiously on Paul's apartment door. Halina was squirming beside me, since a couple of vampires were sticking their heads out, sniffing at the fresh human blood. Ugh. Bottom feeders. "Go back inside you suckers. She's off the menu."

"I thought you said vampires were lazy." Halina got closer, avoiding eye contact with her watchers. She got real quiet. "I don't like them."

"They're just curious at their new, eatable visitor. And I'd appreciate it if they went back into their homes!" I slammed the door, spooking the closest vampires. "Paul! I know you're here. Open up!"

After another minute the vampire finally opened the door. Paul stood there in pajamas, a nice silk robe with bats wrapped around his shoulders. He blinked behind that messy black hair. "Was playing video games. Sorry."

"Don't sorry me you lazy bastard," I said pushing past him. Paul's place was a mess. Cramped, clothes lying about, video games scattering the living room, I had to swipe off the couch clean of pizza boxes. Maybe Paul did need a servant. "Pizza again Paul? We talked about this. You need to start a regular diet again."

"So hard."

"Yes I know. But it isn't good for you." Halina and I sat down as Paul went back to gaming. He had at least every console sitting in front of his huge TV. Surround sound lined my ears with gun blasts, a man with a machine gun mowing down zombies in waves. So unoriginal. It'd take more than a few bullets to kill my spawn. "Your diet is important. Plus, zombies? How insulting."

"Good game. Great graphics."

Halina timidly sat, inspecting the cushion with a keen eye. "I hope the rest of your living quarters aren't as disgusting. Don't vampires drink blood anyways?"

"No it is," I replied. "Vampires eat life essence, drinking blood or simply ripping your soul out of your body. But they don't really have to. Laziness and gaming has destroyed their appetite for life for the most part."

"But still good," Paul said. "Blood tasty. Will take some if interested."

"He's talking to you," I whispered to Halina.

She paled, lip curling slightly. "I'm not."

"Paul, I told you why we came. I need to know if there are shifter pack rest points anywhere close to here." Shifters do have gathering areas that they use to rest or join together at as they travel along, going place to place. Wild to wild. Sacred, untouched pieces of land. Pft, what a bunch of bitches. "You find any?"

He stayed silent, eyes locked on the task at hand. Sometimes Paul tests me in ways that makes my teeth grind. Without even blinking, he said, "No. Not looked."

"Ah! Dammit Paul, this important." I got in front of the screen. The only way to get through to gamers is to interrupt their world. "Bro. Bro. Come on bro."

"Fine," he said annoyed. His character got devoured by undead, a brutal screaming to end the game. That's totally an omen. A very bad one too.

Paul took us to his office, which had papers stacked about. His lone computer booted up, a hot animated vampire chick as his wallpaper. He muttered, "Er--"

"Whatever. Halina doesn't mind," I said, watching her drool only a little. Women. All the same. "Hey I never got to thank you for your outstanding work before. I was very impressed by your report."

"Not problem." Moving much faster than he does in real life, Paul typed away onto the web, searching for rest points that have been documented and posted online. While he was doing that, Halina examined the papers, curious by their context.