Lost in the Shadows

Chapter 21

'What the hell are you doing, Marko?!' the hiss in his ear made Marko tear his lips from the small wrist he was drinking from. He blinked in surprise, as though he had just woken from a dream and the horror of what he had just done etched itself upon his boyish face. David snarled and grabbed the limp child from Marko, bending down so his ear hovered above the boy's face. 'He's barely breathing, you've practically drained him. What were you thinking?!'

Marko ran his hands frantically through his mop of curly blonde hair, his head bowed and his eyes squeezed shut as if he could erase the image of the floppy-haired child lifeless at his feet as David lay the boy down.

'I wasn't. I wasn't thinking. I was just so thirsty, he fell and he was bleeding. Oh shit, David, oh shit! What have I done?'

'Quiet!' David growled, glancing up at the group of people beneath the pier. A low-flamed orange fire glowed sleepily, surrounded by the small gathering now lounging on the sand and knocking back bottles of something. No one looked their way.

'His mom's over there,' Marko gestured with his head towards the pier. 'He was left wandering over here on his own, and he got his foot stuck. He was calling out to her and she was too busy having a good time to notice. He slipped again when I got his foot free, fell on some broken glass and I just lost it.'

'Cool it,' David warned, a war waging on his face as his brain worked over time.

'She doesn't deserve to have him. Junkie moms don't deserve to have kids.' Marko's voice was thick with emotion, his blue eyes shining with tears as his thoughts turned inward for a moment. 'We could keep him, couldn't we? He could be one of us. We'd look after him better than she could.'

'We've never made them so young. He's so young.' David frowned at the small form laid at his feet.

'I won't leave him here. He'll die, David.'

'I know.' David sighed and knelt beside the tiny prone figure. He drew back his sleeve and looked up at Marko. 'Make this your final mistake, Marko. No more excuses.' David bit deep into his own wrist, wincing as his dark blood trickled out. He held his blood-soaked skin to the boy's mouth, letting the warm liquid drip past his lips. Marko stood and leant in for a closer look, his hands on his thighs as he bent down.

'Is he ok? How long does it take?'

'A while. We need to get him back home before he turns.' Marko suddenly looked apprehensive.

'What will tell the others?' He felt sick, already hearing the endless jibes he would suffer at Paul's hands for all eternity for feeding from a child.

'Leave that to me,' David said, his eyes already dark with an idea, but his heart heavy at the thought. 'You take him,' he ordered, already astride his bike and kicking up a cloud of sand in his wake. The revellers turned then, but Marko had already gone.

******

The others were gathered in the cave, Dwayne's armed draped around Star, who's mouth formed a perfect 'o' of disgust. Dwayne's eye were black, his usually calm features a mask of horror. Even Paul, arms folded across his chest and feet planted firmly apart, was at a loss for words.

'Put him on my bed,' Star managed to croak finally. David had his back to the rest of them, folded in his chair with his chin resting on his hand.

'What the fuck have you done, Marko?' Dwayne demanded, shoving the younger boy hard in the chest once he'd carefully placed the child down.

'Dwayne, don't,' Star begged.

'How could you? An innocent child!'

'It's not what it looks like!' Marko protested, stumbling over his feet as Paul advanced towards him and forced him back against the wall. Star disappeared behind the thin curtain that sectioned off her little alcove from the main room, checking on the child no doubt.

'What the hell is it then?' Paul practically bellowed, his face contorted with rage and disgust.

'David,' Dwayne appealed, his long dark hair whipping over his bare shoulders as he turned to their unspoken leader. Marko flinched, his eyes screwed shut in anticipation of the fist Paul was about to bring down on his face, his own hands limp at his sides as Paul held him by the front of his shirt. Marko knew that Paul was stronger than he was, especially when he was in this mood. But he didn't want to fight.

'How could you let this happen, David?' Dwayne asked again, his black eyes imploring. 'A child!'

'I did it.'

'What?' Paul dropped Marko, his fist still held mid-air waiting to connect. Dwayne took a few steps towards where David was sat, though his blonde head never turned.

'I turned him.' David said simply, running one gloved hand over his platinum stubble.

'Why would you do that?' Star demanded, flinging herself at David as her small hands gripped his leather jacket, her thick cocoa curls tumbling around her. She had never looked more beautiful to David than she did in that moment. Vulnerable in her fury, blazing with hurt and confusion, the candle light flickering warmly across her flushed skin.

'For you,' David smirked. The slap of her hand across his face rebounded sharply around the cave. David laughed and stood up, towering over her and making Star quick-step backwards. His tone was low and dangerous, causing Dwayne to move protectively towards his sister. Paul held his blood-brother back with one hand across his chest and gave a minute shake of his head. Marko skulked against the wall, trying not to watch.

'What the hell are you talking about?' Star demanded, her jaw set with determination despite the flicker of fear in her dark eyes as David stepped towards her.

'I did it for you, baby,' David's grin was fixed without humour on his lips, masking the fact that his heart was breaking with every word. 'Every girl wants to be a mommy right? You would never have that chance because your body can never change now, not now that I've given you the gift of eternal life.' Star looked at him dumbfounded and shook her head.

'Not like this, I didn't want this. I didn't ask you for this!' Tears threatened to spill from Star's eyes, causing David to turn away from her and glare at the others.

'Not yet maybe, but at some point you would have. Just saving time.'

'Take it back,' she begged, grabbing at his arm and making him turn back to her. 'Please, David, take it back and make him human again. He's just a little boy!'

'I can't.' He pushed past Dwayne and Paul, shouldering the two aside as he stalked off alone to a darker section of the cave. The other two were too busy exchanging long, dark looks with each other to notice the slow, cool wink David dropped to Marko that seemed to say, 'I've got your back, bro.'

The boy whimpered in his sleep and Star was at his side instantly, smoothing the thick brown hair from his forehead.

'His name is Laddie,' Marko said quietly, appearing at her shoulder. Star smiled a little at the boy despite the fact his eyes were closed still as he slept through his turning.

'What happened?' she asked Marko softly.

'I don't want to talk about it,' he said.

'David was wrong to do this. I'll never forgive him.'

'Yo, bro. Star's right, he totally fucked up big time on this one.' Paul chipped in.

'The boy was dying,' Marko defended David's actions. 'He saved his life.' Dwayne shook his head again sadly, arms crossed over his bare chest as he leant against the arch of the doorway to where Star sat beside Laddie on the bed.

'He might have saved his life, but maybe it would have been kinder if he hadn't.'