in which andi realizes it has been too fucking long. . .
Here's the first chapter of my latest endeavor “Midnight” for anyone who cares. . . the whole thing is about 7,000 words so i'll post it in chapters. . . but yeah, comments are appreciated. *Bran=brahn, not like the grain, and Ciaran=kieran
Layla stood up, put on her jacket, and met her brother outside.
"Hey Midnight, took you long enough." Ciaran was sitting on his motorcycle, leaning to one side with a foot down to steady himself. She stood on the porch for a minute looking down at him. He hadn't shaved in almost a week, and his seemingly messy hair-which was actually strategically gelled that way-was almost invisible against the night sky. "You coming, or are you just gonna stand there looking at me all night?" His mouth turned up slightly on the left side. She mirrored his half-smile-it was the one thing they had both gotten from their father-and started down the steps. He kicked the bike to life and she climbed on behind him.
They sped through the night, racing past cars, trees, people, barely missing at least one of each. They hit the edge of the cliff just outside town and made their way up the coast. A light flashed nearly blinding them, but they didn't flinch. A few feet later, the beacon flashed at them again as if warding them away from the lighthouse it crowned. Two more bikes pulled up along side them, matching their pace the whole rest of the way. Reaching their destination, all three motorcycles slowed to a stop. The boys all greeted each other with hand-clasps and half-hugs. Corvin took Ciaran aside-no doubt to talk about Sully-while Bran caught Layla up in a big hug, picking her up off the ground. He spun her around and set her back down, but didn't release his grip on her. "God I missed you."
"It's only been a few weeks," Layla laughed, "Are you really that lost without me?"
"You have no idea how much it sucks to be cooped up with Corv for that long." He let her go, but kept an arm around her shoulders as the other two rejoined them. Corvin kissed Layla on the cheek.
"How you been Midnight?"
"Not bad Corv, and yourself?"
"Could be better, as always."
"Where's Sully?"
"On his way, and you'll be happy to know he's bringing Moonbeam with him." Layla hadn't seen Aylin in almost two months because she hadn’t come the last time; it was a relief to know that she was on her way. It wasn't so much that Layla minded the guys, it was just nice not to be the only girl once in a while.
They walked up to the edge of the cliff and stood looking into the oblivion of the dark sea, bleeding into the sky with almost no visible horizon. "It's almost 2:30, where are they?" Corvin anxiously looked at his watch.
"They'll be here, calm down." Not two seconds after Ciaran said this, a bike engine roared and light spilled across the small group. The two riders got off and joined the rest of them with hugs and handshakes.
"Whadaya know Sull?"
"Oh, you know Midnight: too much and not enough. Moonbeam here got herself a boyfriend today."
"Really?" Layla asked as Aylin started to blush. She lightly smacked Sullivan's arm.
"I met eyes with a guy just before I got on the bike with Sully. It's no big deal."
"Something tells me you did more than just meet eyes with him." Bran raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, so I talked to him a little earlier in the night; it was nothing."
"Bottom line boys,” Sully offered, “we may have a new recruit."
Layla's heart dropped when she heard this. In some ways she missed the way they were before: just Ciaran and her fighting to make it after their mom split. But at the same time she was glad they'd found Sully. They had a family again, one that didn't hurt or abandon them. She wondered what had happened in this kid's life to make him notice Aylin. Moonbeam had a way of attracting the sad ones, the broken ones. She had been the one who brought Ciaran and Layla into the circle.
"Come on, we've gotta get going," Sullivan was a little eager to go out tonight; it would be the first hunt in a quite some time where almost the whole group was together.
"You know what? I'm not really feeling up to it tonight." Sully looked at Layla for a minute, not understanding her reasons for wanting to stay behind, but then conceded. After all, she wasn't like the rest of them.
"I'll stay with you." Surprise, surprise, Bran wanted to be wherever Layla was, even if that meant giving up a meal with the guys.
"Alright, suite yourselves."
"Are you gonna stay with her tonight B?" Ciaran wasn't going anywhere until he knew that Layla was taken care of.
"Yeah."
"Thanks. I'll see you at home 'kay Midnight?" He gave her a hug and a kiss before climbing back onto his bike to leave. "Love you."
"Love you too." To anyone else that phrase might seem a bit empty-could a vampire really love?-but Layla knew better. They had emotions just like humans, the bloodlust hadn't changed that. They still felt love, anger, pity, even guilt. That was why they rarely fed off humans: "hunting" meant livestock from around the area, and never the same spot two nights in a row.
Layla and Bran sat down against the lighthouse as Aylin and the boys got on their bikes and rode off into the trees. Heaving a sigh, Layla laid her head on Bran’s shoulder. He pulled out a flask from a pocket in his jacket, took a swig and closed his eyes, breathing in sharply. Then he offered it to her. “It’s cow. Corv and I hit a farm a few days ago, and something told me you probably wouldn’t want to go on the hunt tonight.”
“Thanks.” She smiled and took a drink. Her eyes closed, and she felt a rush as the liquid made its way down her throat. This was nothing compared to the high of human blood, but for now they were willing to settle. Human blood came at a greater cost, both mentally and physically after the spike. If their bodies didn’t need it from time to time, they wouldn’t hunt humans at all. The voices still echoed in Layla’s mind just as, she knew, they echoed in the heads of the others as well. She closed her eyes and pushed them to the background, thinking about nothing but the clear night sky and the way Bran’s eyes reflected the stars.
Before she knew it, the east showed the faintest glimmer of sunrise. “Bran, we gotta go, you need to get inside.” He stood, then helped her to her feet and they both rushed over to his motorcycle. He got on and kick-started it, she climbed on behind him, and they were off. “Our house is closer, just go there,” she yelled in his ear. He nodded acknowledgement and turned into the woods. Speeding down the dusty dirt path that had originally led Layla and her brother to the meeting place, they raced the approaching daylight. They finally hit pavement coming into town, but didn’t slow down. There weren’t many cars out yet, and even fewer people walking the streets. They pulled up to the house Layla and Ciaran had shared since their mother left them in it six years ago.
The door was unlocked; there wasn’t anything Layla and Ciaran were afraid of losing anymore. Not that there was really anything in the house worth stealing anyway. They bolted up the stairs and turned sharply into the room on the right. Bran flung himself on the bed while Layla grabbed for the blinds. When the room was completely dark, Bran rolled over and started laughing. Layla joined him on the bed, smiling. “We’ve got to stop doing that.”
“Yeah, that one was cutting it a little close, wasn’t it?” Bran yawned. Layla kissed him then stood back up.
“I’m gonna go watch it; I’ll be back in a minute.”
She went into the bathroom, opened the window and climbed out onto the roof. Shifting her center of balance with each step, she walked up to the peak and stood facing east. The sun came up over the tree line, bathing her in light and warmth. She took in a deep breath, and then headed back toward the window. Passing by Ciaran’s room, she opened the door a crack to see if he was there. He wasn’t, but she hadn’t really expected him to be; he’d more than likely crashed at Sully’s or Corv’s place. Reaching her own room again, she collapsed on the bed next to Bran. “I wish I could see it again.”
“Don’t worry; it wasn’t that great this time.”
“That’s what you say every time.”
“Well, it’s true.” She cuddled up to him and he put an arm around her. Soon they were both fast asleep.
Layla stood up, put on her jacket, and met her brother outside.
"Hey Midnight, took you long enough." Ciaran was sitting on his motorcycle, leaning to one side with a foot down to steady himself. She stood on the porch for a minute looking down at him. He hadn't shaved in almost a week, and his seemingly messy hair-which was actually strategically gelled that way-was almost invisible against the night sky. "You coming, or are you just gonna stand there looking at me all night?" His mouth turned up slightly on the left side. She mirrored his half-smile-it was the one thing they had both gotten from their father-and started down the steps. He kicked the bike to life and she climbed on behind him.
They sped through the night, racing past cars, trees, people, barely missing at least one of each. They hit the edge of the cliff just outside town and made their way up the coast. A light flashed nearly blinding them, but they didn't flinch. A few feet later, the beacon flashed at them again as if warding them away from the lighthouse it crowned. Two more bikes pulled up along side them, matching their pace the whole rest of the way. Reaching their destination, all three motorcycles slowed to a stop. The boys all greeted each other with hand-clasps and half-hugs. Corvin took Ciaran aside-no doubt to talk about Sully-while Bran caught Layla up in a big hug, picking her up off the ground. He spun her around and set her back down, but didn't release his grip on her. "God I missed you."
"It's only been a few weeks," Layla laughed, "Are you really that lost without me?"
"You have no idea how much it sucks to be cooped up with Corv for that long." He let her go, but kept an arm around her shoulders as the other two rejoined them. Corvin kissed Layla on the cheek.
"How you been Midnight?"
"Not bad Corv, and yourself?"
"Could be better, as always."
"Where's Sully?"
"On his way, and you'll be happy to know he's bringing Moonbeam with him." Layla hadn't seen Aylin in almost two months because she hadn’t come the last time; it was a relief to know that she was on her way. It wasn't so much that Layla minded the guys, it was just nice not to be the only girl once in a while.
They walked up to the edge of the cliff and stood looking into the oblivion of the dark sea, bleeding into the sky with almost no visible horizon. "It's almost 2:30, where are they?" Corvin anxiously looked at his watch.
"They'll be here, calm down." Not two seconds after Ciaran said this, a bike engine roared and light spilled across the small group. The two riders got off and joined the rest of them with hugs and handshakes.
"Whadaya know Sull?"
"Oh, you know Midnight: too much and not enough. Moonbeam here got herself a boyfriend today."
"Really?" Layla asked as Aylin started to blush. She lightly smacked Sullivan's arm.
"I met eyes with a guy just before I got on the bike with Sully. It's no big deal."
"Something tells me you did more than just meet eyes with him." Bran raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, so I talked to him a little earlier in the night; it was nothing."
"Bottom line boys,” Sully offered, “we may have a new recruit."
Layla's heart dropped when she heard this. In some ways she missed the way they were before: just Ciaran and her fighting to make it after their mom split. But at the same time she was glad they'd found Sully. They had a family again, one that didn't hurt or abandon them. She wondered what had happened in this kid's life to make him notice Aylin. Moonbeam had a way of attracting the sad ones, the broken ones. She had been the one who brought Ciaran and Layla into the circle.
"Come on, we've gotta get going," Sullivan was a little eager to go out tonight; it would be the first hunt in a quite some time where almost the whole group was together.
"You know what? I'm not really feeling up to it tonight." Sully looked at Layla for a minute, not understanding her reasons for wanting to stay behind, but then conceded. After all, she wasn't like the rest of them.
"I'll stay with you." Surprise, surprise, Bran wanted to be wherever Layla was, even if that meant giving up a meal with the guys.
"Alright, suite yourselves."
"Are you gonna stay with her tonight B?" Ciaran wasn't going anywhere until he knew that Layla was taken care of.
"Yeah."
"Thanks. I'll see you at home 'kay Midnight?" He gave her a hug and a kiss before climbing back onto his bike to leave. "Love you."
"Love you too." To anyone else that phrase might seem a bit empty-could a vampire really love?-but Layla knew better. They had emotions just like humans, the bloodlust hadn't changed that. They still felt love, anger, pity, even guilt. That was why they rarely fed off humans: "hunting" meant livestock from around the area, and never the same spot two nights in a row.
Layla and Bran sat down against the lighthouse as Aylin and the boys got on their bikes and rode off into the trees. Heaving a sigh, Layla laid her head on Bran’s shoulder. He pulled out a flask from a pocket in his jacket, took a swig and closed his eyes, breathing in sharply. Then he offered it to her. “It’s cow. Corv and I hit a farm a few days ago, and something told me you probably wouldn’t want to go on the hunt tonight.”
“Thanks.” She smiled and took a drink. Her eyes closed, and she felt a rush as the liquid made its way down her throat. This was nothing compared to the high of human blood, but for now they were willing to settle. Human blood came at a greater cost, both mentally and physically after the spike. If their bodies didn’t need it from time to time, they wouldn’t hunt humans at all. The voices still echoed in Layla’s mind just as, she knew, they echoed in the heads of the others as well. She closed her eyes and pushed them to the background, thinking about nothing but the clear night sky and the way Bran’s eyes reflected the stars.
Before she knew it, the east showed the faintest glimmer of sunrise. “Bran, we gotta go, you need to get inside.” He stood, then helped her to her feet and they both rushed over to his motorcycle. He got on and kick-started it, she climbed on behind him, and they were off. “Our house is closer, just go there,” she yelled in his ear. He nodded acknowledgement and turned into the woods. Speeding down the dusty dirt path that had originally led Layla and her brother to the meeting place, they raced the approaching daylight. They finally hit pavement coming into town, but didn’t slow down. There weren’t many cars out yet, and even fewer people walking the streets. They pulled up to the house Layla and Ciaran had shared since their mother left them in it six years ago.
The door was unlocked; there wasn’t anything Layla and Ciaran were afraid of losing anymore. Not that there was really anything in the house worth stealing anyway. They bolted up the stairs and turned sharply into the room on the right. Bran flung himself on the bed while Layla grabbed for the blinds. When the room was completely dark, Bran rolled over and started laughing. Layla joined him on the bed, smiling. “We’ve got to stop doing that.”
“Yeah, that one was cutting it a little close, wasn’t it?” Bran yawned. Layla kissed him then stood back up.
“I’m gonna go watch it; I’ll be back in a minute.”
She went into the bathroom, opened the window and climbed out onto the roof. Shifting her center of balance with each step, she walked up to the peak and stood facing east. The sun came up over the tree line, bathing her in light and warmth. She took in a deep breath, and then headed back toward the window. Passing by Ciaran’s room, she opened the door a crack to see if he was there. He wasn’t, but she hadn’t really expected him to be; he’d more than likely crashed at Sully’s or Corv’s place. Reaching her own room again, she collapsed on the bed next to Bran. “I wish I could see it again.”
“Don’t worry; it wasn’t that great this time.”
“That’s what you say every time.”
“Well, it’s true.” She cuddled up to him and he put an arm around her. Soon they were both fast asleep.