The Missing Boy

Chapter 22 - What It Is To Be Human

Axel doesn't feel so alone anymore. Not that he was ever really alone, he had Miles and his parents but of course they could never understand the turmoil within him. Not like Sydney and Julian could.

While Miles was grounded, Axel went to the bar and hung out with the other 2 vampires (he refuses to call them rogues) and even now that Miles isn't grounded anymore, Axel still hangs out with Sydney and Julian. Maybe not as much as before since he still favours Miles' company over anyone else's, but either way Axel just enjoys having friends.

It's a rare occurrence to find vampires that are actually the age they look but Sydney really is 17 and Julian, 19. They have only ever heard rumours of the incubators and age reversal and are stunned to find that the rumours are in fact true.

"You really saw an 80 year old woman turn 20?"

"Come on Sydney, I doubt she was actually 80. She must have been 800."

"Yeah, I saw it." Axel answers.

Sydney and Julian are both very against the idea of changing your age. They feel as though it messes with the way the world works. That things are fine the way they are. That ageing is a fundamental part of the human process.

"Speaking of humans" Axel can't help but think they sound like aliens when they refer to others as 'humans' "when are we going to meet this mystery Miles?" Julian asks over his third glass of blood.

"Yes, I would love to meet your human boyfriend." Sydney says. She finds using the term 'human' to be hilarious.

"I don't know, whenever you want I guess. But don't be surprised if he starts asking you a shit-tonne of questions. He's very invested."

So the three vampires go over to Axel's house where they meet with Miles. Grace is stunned to see Axel with so many friends but is happy to see her son finally settling in.

Miles does exactly as Axel had predicted, even pulling out a notepad with all the questions he had about vampires. Sometimes Miles felt that Axel didn't want to talk about it and so soaked up as much information as he could from the other two.

When Julian and Sydney finally bid their farewells and go back to the bar, Miles too leaves for his house. He tells Axel that his mother is expecting him home. She isn't.

Miles' curiosity gets the better of him. His interest in vampires only sparked even more having met Axel's friends.

Miles hates that he's really doing this. Following Sydney and Julian to the bar. Staying a good distance behind them so they don't smell his scent or hear his heartbeat. He hates that he's lying to Axel. But this is his chance to know more about vampires. To know more about Axel. That's what he tells himself in order to feel better.

After what feels like hours, Sydney and Julian finally leave the bar. They split ways. Sydney jumps into an uber and since Miles hasn't got a car, he follows Julian instead, who travels on foot.

It's dark. The night had caught up on Miles without him even noticing. The men in black had caught up on Julian without him noticing too.

It takes everything for Miles not to scream and blow his cover as the men cover Julian's head with a black bag, dragging his limp body into the woods. They must have drugged him.

Miles, panicking, calls Axel, his fingers trembling as he pulls up his number on his phone. He's surprised that Axel can make out his words through all his crying.

"Stay there, Miles. Hide, ok? Don't go home because someone might follow you. Just stay exactly where you are, I'm coming to get you."

"But-but what about Julian? We can't just leave him. I-I have to help him."

"You can't do anything for him, Miles. They're probably vampires. They must have figured out that he's a rogue."

"I'm can't just stand here and do nothing."

"Yes, you can."

"No." Miles wipes away his tears. "I can't. I'm going to go help."

"Miles, for fuck sake, if you-"

He hangs up.

He takes a deep breath to control himself and follows the path the men in black took, trying his hardest to keep quiet. They had gone deep into the forest and when Miles finally catches up to them, he sees that the bag is still over Julian's face. He seems to be awake. Kicking and screaming. A vampire punches him across the face.

There's only one man without a mask. He rips the black bag off of Julian, who's face is bloody but wounds have already healed due to his venom. The man then speaks.

"Julian, Julian, Julian. Did you think I would just let you get away? I'm insulted that you thought I wouldn't be able to find you. This all could have been avoided had you stayed in the mansion as you were supposed to. You brought this upon yourself."

The man towers over the shorter boy who's body is being held up by the other two men in masks.

"I know there are more of you rogues. I heard of a place where you all meet. I want you to tell me where it is."

Julian spits in the mans face.

Disgusted, the man wipes the bloody saliva off his face.

"You rogues are a disgrace to the vampire community. An abomination. You have tarnished our name. You have brought us back by generations and for what? To continue trying to live like a human? To be human is to die."

Julian's eyes widen with fear.  "We will grant you that wish tonight."

The man pulls out a thick metal stake. He plunges it into Julian's heart.

"So the rumours are false then? You could survive a stake to the heart?"

"Could you?" Axel asks.

"Obviously not, I'm human."

"No one would survive a fucking stake to the heart, Miles. We can still die. There are ways of dying. Elias, he taught me some ways."

Axel had been right.

Julian is dead.

Miles knows now what death looks like. And it's an ugly picture.

This isn't what it is to be human.