The Missing Boy

Chapter 11 - You Remember

Miles knows Axel likes to smoke. It's one of the things that came attached with the new Axel. The Axel post crash. Miles never fails to see Axel with a cigarette in his mouth, fingers or pockets. It seems today a cigarette wouldn't cut it.

"Sometimes you need something stronger." Especially after thinking about Elias and the mansion. Axel lights up the joint he just received from his drawer.

"I'm pretty sure there's some stronger stuff than weed."

"Pills don't work in our bloodstream. One of the major downfalls of being a vampire. Although the deadly thirst for blood is a bit of a downer sometimes."

"Just a bit?" Miles jokes.

"It does have it's perks though. Nothing can compete with that feeling you get when having a drink."

"You can drink alcohol?"

"No, not alcohol." Axel's eyes trail down to Miles' neck. Miles catches the hint.

"Oh."

"When I drink, I feel high. Like I'm above the world. And I love the feeling. The taste of blood on my lips. That rush of adrenaline and contentment because finally your thirst is satisfied. It's the feeling that comes after that I hate. Because when that buzz settles, when that crackle of electricity under your skin finally fades. You're left with this empty void. You remember that you're dead. And barely even remember what it truly feels like to be alive.

You remember who you are and what you just did.

You remember that the blood in your system isn't really yours."

"Not yours?" Miles asks, confused.

"Not really. I drink blood because my own body can't make it. I take blood that isn't mine and the venom makes it mine. My blood type. My DNA. It's all to do with the venom. It keeps me alive. " Axel hates that word. "And finds every way of doing so."

"It's amazing, all the things your venom can do."

That's Axel's cue. He takes a long drag and exhales into Miles' face. Miles flaps the smoke away and starts coughing violently. Axel moves to sit by the window, opening it so that the fresh night air can diffuse into the room and overpower the pungent scent.

"This distracts me. But I don't expect you to understand how it feels."

Axel is right. Miles has no fucking idea what it feels like. To be a vampire. To be dead. To be high.

"Alright then. Give it to me." Miles walks over to Axel. Axel chuckles, pulling the blunt away from his reaching hands.

"This?" Axel points to the joint. "This is nothing. Want to try something else?" There's this dangerous glint in Axel's eyes that Miles is deathly afraid of. Or perhaps intrigued by.

"I am not doing meth."

"No." Axel exclaims, rolling his eyes. "Vampire venom." He whispers mischievously.

Miles swallows nervously. "Vampire venom?"

"Come on. It'll be fun."

"I'm not sure, Axel. I was already way out of my comfort zone when I asked for the joint. I've never done anything like this before." Miles pulls the sleeves of his navy hoodie down to cover his hands.

"It'll feel good, I promise. I won't let anything bad happen to you. But it's your call." Axel leans back, placing the joint between his lips again and facing the dark night.

Miles can't help the little tinge of curiosity that's naturally inside of him at the thought of testing out vampire venom, even if he did just find out about it today. His doubts don't give a good enough argument for him to back down from this.

"Ok. Let's do it."

Axel smiles, taking himself and Miles back to his bed.

"I'm going to need you to take your hoodie off." Miles does as Axel says, putting the blue hoodie to the side, allowing Axel full access to his throat.

Miles stares at Axel's neck too. He stares specifically at the snake tattoo. He's drawn to the fangs and the two puncture holes at the end of their sharp teeth.

"Is that where you were bitten?" Miles asks as he softly touches the two little scars.

"Yeah. The only scars vampires can get are their bite marks, everything else heals completely."

"Will I get a scar when you bite me?"

"No. The venom will heal your bite marks. Our venom is the secret to immortality. It what keeps us alive I suppose. Although alive doesn't seem like the right word."

"You're alive Axel." Miles dismisses Axel's remark as if it were a silly thought.

"Hmm that's debatable but we can argue about whether I'm dead or alive another time. We've got more important matters at hand right now." Axel says as he stares at Miles' neck, hypnotised.

Miles' exhale is shaky as he says "Ok."

Axel watches the bob of Miles' Adam's apple as he swallows. His hand moves at once as he trails his thumb down over Miles' pink lips, over his chin and down the middle of his throat.

In the blink of an eye, Axel's canines have extended revealing razor sharp fangs. Miles is mesmerised. He reaches out to touch them but Axel grabs his hand, stopping him.

"Nope. No touching."

"Oh ok. They're so cool though and they look so sharp. I would hate to bite my tongue."

"Yeah these fangs can be a real bitch sometimes. But they are pretty cool." Axel smiles and Miles hates that the fangs make his smile look even more attractive. "You ready?"

"Yeah." Miles confirms.

Axel tilts Miles' head sideways, his mouth hovering over Miles' skin. Miles can feel Axel's warm breath fan against his neck. His heart rate speeds up immediately and he curses Axel's heightened abilities knowing full well that Axel has already detected this change.

Axel impatiently awaits the coppery taste of blood on his tongue. Miles tries his hardest not to move. Both of them get to share in the feeling. Enjoy it. Even if Axel seems a lot more eager than Miles. He tentatively pierces into Miles' skin and-

"Nope, nope, nope. I can't do this." Miles shakes his head. "I can't take drugs, what would my parents think? And I can't handle any sort of pain. Why did I even sign up to this? I have a very low pain tolerance. I don't remember a single time I have had a shot at the hospital and not cried. I get it, it's pathetic. I'm 17 years old and still cry at injections. But you can't blame me, those things are scary and besides having a fear of needles is very common. I'm sorry. I told you I would do this and now I've bailed out."

"You don't have to apologise for anything. In fact, you don't even have to say anything. You've said quite enough."

"Sorry. I'm kind of a blabber mouth." Miles puts his hoodie back on, embarrassment seeping in now that they're both quiet. "I guess I just freaked out."

"It's alright. Hopefully they'll be a next time."

"Yeah, next time."