Thanks for the incredible feedback in chapter one! I hope this chapter helps you through your hump day, and that the Frog's can help you survive through to the weekend.
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Chapter 2
Safety First
Marko was lost in thought, sulking away from the crowded beach.
Nothing will hurt you on my watch.
Why would he say that? Why would he risk her hearing him? What was he thinking?! He shouldn't have put himself at risk, especially in front of a crowd! Who the hell was she anyhow? Sam. Damn she was beautiful; she stole his attention far across the boardwalk. He didn't mean to follow her, but he caught note of how sweet she smelled walking out from the comic shop. He was keeping an eye on the Surf Nazi's, and completely lost his focus. He was engrossed. His face scrunched up...he wouldn't make the same mistake as David. There would be no point trying to invest in a human; it's better just forget about her, all it would lead to is trouble.
"Marko it's feeding time. Where are you? The surfers are on our turf." Marko could hear David talking in his head, and he seemed more impatient than usual.
"Cool it. I'll catch up with you guys soon." He made his way through the crowd, popping the collar of his jacket against the breeze.
___
The sun peeked through the curtains at just the right angle to shine bright in Sammy's face, causing her to groan. After a moment, she realized she wouldn't be able to sleep any longer, and turned towards the door, slowly blinking her eyes open. The clock read 10:30. After realizing she slept the morning away, she stretched, and made her way to a half unpacked box of clothes, throwing on a hoodie over her thin shirt. Pulling open the bedroom door, Sam was knocked back by the overwhelming smell of pancakes and bacon. Mom must have made breakfast! Rushing down the stairs, she spotted Mike and Grandpa fighting over the last of the pancakes.
"Over my dead body, kiddo."
"Alright old fart, that can be arranged!"
Sammy took the opportunity to run over to the table and snatched the pancake off Mike's plate, too quick for him to notice.
"Looks like there's nothing to fight over now, boys." She winked, taking a bite. Syrup ran down her arm and both Mike and Gramps snickered, finishing up their plates. "Where's mom?" Sam inquired, pouring a cup of coffee.
"Well Lucy got lucky last night, and managed to woo herself a job. She started bright and early this morning." Grandpa smiled.
"Damn." She cursed under her breath, just loud enough for Mike to hear. There goes her chance of heading to the boardwalk.
"Why? Do you got a hot date today?" He smirked, raising a brow. She looked back to him with a grin of her own.
"A double date actually. A girl and her comic books, and her brother finding his mystery girl." she quipped back, wiggling her fingers at the word mystery.
"Make that a triple date. I'm seeing the Widow Johnson tonight, and I don't want you two going out of your way to ruin it." Grandpa chimed in. Sammy chuckled, and Mike rolled his eyes.
"Then we better get ready." Mike concluded.
Mike and Sammy fought over the conjoined bathroom, but managed to scramble and get ready for the beach. It was much warmer out than the day before, and Sammy decided on sporting a pair of denim shorts and a loose t-shirt, a red bathing suit underneath. Mike went for a more rugged look with dark jeans, dark glasses, and a ripped crop top.
"Damn bud, you're hopping on the frizzy train today." She joked, poking fun. "Those wild Santa Carla girls will be all over you."
"Tell me about it, killer." He responded, trying to sound as cool as he could. Sammy commended his efforts, and at a quarter after noon they were off.
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"Now, do you want to spread out and look for clues?" Mike joked, parking the bike. Sammy was caught up in the sights and didn't hear him, looking out to the open water. The beach was alive with families, and kids were running around left and right. The boardwalk shops were bustling, and the lines for the rides could be seen a mile away. He nudged her shoulder. "Sammy?"
"Hm?" She smiled, turning back to him. "Oh, that's okay. Go find your girl. I'm old enough to stay on my own right now." She confirmed, and he nodded.
"I think Mom's off at 8:00, otherwise meet me here at 5:00." She nodded, and they headed in opposite directions down the boardwalk.
It took less time for Sam to find the comic shop than she thought it would, and it too seemed busy in the bustle of the day. Two older folks were tending the shop; it must be their parents. Turning around a corner, she took note of a familiar face, and picked up her pace.
"Hey there, Alan! Are you missing your other half?" Sammy smiled. His eyes widened for a moment, almost in shock, before he mimicked her smile.
"H-hey there, Sam. Wow, I didn't think you would come back." he admitted. "And Edgar ran out to grab us some lunch." Sammy let out the tension she didn't know she was holding in her shoulders. Rambo Jr. wouldn't be popping around the corner anytime soon, and it settled her. Alan was much more approachable. Breaking her from her thoughts, he spoke up again. "Hey, I'm sorry about yesterday. Edgar's not really a people person, and I thought we scared you off."
"It's alright, vampire boy, it's going to take more than that to scare me." She grinned, but Alan's smiled faltered. He scratched the back of his neck, trying to find a way to change the subject. "And I'm sorry to butt into your business," She started again, "but I do have one question. I overheard you two talking last night." Oh great, Alan thought, opening his mouth like a fish out of water.
"What would that be?" A new voice boomed into the conversation. Turning, she saw Edgar leaning in the doorway, a bright bandana around his head. Alan was relieved, and Sam was suspicious.
"Last night I heard you call me a distraction. What am I distracting you from?" They went silent at her question, and looking intently at them, she almost refused to back down. Edgar met eyes with her, and huffed. Setting down the bag of food on the main counter, he pulled out the comic from the night before.
"Look, I'll keep this simple. This is our survival manual." He paused, looking at his brother. "I'm surprised you survived the night." he admitted. She raised her brows, taking a step back. What did he mean by that? What a creep! Alan noticed her discomfort, and grabbed her hand.
"Sammy don't freak out. He didn't mean it. What he meant was... what he meant was that-"
"I was telling you the truth when I said the comic could save your life." Edgar spoke, for the first time without the low tone. The serious tone didn't leave, but he sounded much more sincere. "Don't freak, but there are vampires here in Santa Carla."
"Tourists would never know." Alan noted. "I mean, have you noticed all of the missing person signs?" Sammy thought for a moment, and thought back to yesterday with Grandpa. A moment later she looked up, and without missing a beat she put two and two together.
"Murder Capital of the World." She whispered, a chill rushing over her. Get ahold of yourself Sammy! She didn't know what came over her, but for a moment she shared a similar look with Edgar and Alan, and she had trouble snapping out of it. "There's no way."
"Think about it." Edgar pried. "It's a perfect set up. Vacationers come and go, and regulars stay pretty far out of town. There are shop keepers during the day, sure, but usually they stick in groups. Just take a look when you're out there." He stopped, letting Sammy think about everything she had seen. Looking up, she almost scouted out Alan for comfort, but he nodded at her as if confirming what Edgar was saying.
"How do you know?" She asked quietly. "I mean, this sounds crazy!" She threw up her hands, and Edgar walked around her. Returning to the bag of forgotten food, he pulled out a handful of poorly wrapped tacos, distributing them between the three of em. All the while, Alan pulled out another comic labeled Destroy All Vampires. Taking a seat at a table away from the front of the store, the three of them huddled around the comics, and Sammy learned everything to know about scouting out the undead. Eons later, her head was overwhelmed with facts about garlic and hounds of hell. It sounded like she found herself in the comic. These boys were obsessed, but she didn't know what to do. Shifting in her seat, she looked up. The clock read a quarter past 6:00. Shit, she was bound to have missed Mike! Edgar and Alan had calmed down and were talking about how cool their crossbows and super soakers were. They were bound to come in handy one day.
"Hey guys," she interrupted, and they looked up. "It's getting late, and I better not get stranded here after dark." She chose her words carefully, and their ears perked up. Agreeing with her repeatedly, they commended her for heeding their warnings.
"Here, take these." Edgar grunted, handing her both comics. Stuffing them in her bag, Sammy stood up from the stool she was sitting in and stretched out her legs.
"Our number is on the back." Alan chimed in, sending a small smile her way. Looking a bit longer than he planned on, he coughed looking away. "I mean, for protection. Pray you never need to call us."
Sammy raised a brow, smirking now.
"Okay, I'll pray I never need to call you. Sure." She nodded, leaving the shop with the sun hanging low in the sky, both boys watching her leave. Edgar couldn't help but roll his eyes at how uncool his brother was ogling after her.
___
The sun was warm on her skin, but Sammy felt uneasy. She planned on leaving with Mike, but she got much more invested with the Frog Brothers than she intended. Pulling her bag close, she walked down the boardwalk once more. It was dinner time, and she found the shops much quieter than before. She took note of the shops as she passed. There were a couple of dinky smoke shops, a coffee bar, a video tape shop, and a surfers paradise. A familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Oh, Sam!" turning around she spotted her mom waving at her. Lucy had been chatting with her coworkers as she watched the front door. She had hardly noticed Sammy walking past!
"This is a pretty cool gig, mom." Sammy walked back to the video shop, Video Max, impressed. Her mom was leaning against the doorway with a graceful smile, pulling her in for a hug. Introducing Sam to her coworkers, Lucy was so excited for her daughter to be here! She had learned so much in her first day!
"Mike must have driven you down. Is he still around?" She asked, looking out to the crowd. Sammy shook her head and was pulled into the video store, Lucy telling her all about the new movies she wanted to see and how nice it was to work right in the middle of it all. Sammy forgot about all the vampire mumbo jumbo, and was happy to see her mom investing in something new. "Oh, you simply must meet Max!"
"I'm guessing this is his store?" Sammy mused, and her mom bumped her shoulder with good nature.
"Yes, yes. He should be coming in in a couple of hours. Care to stick around the boardwalk a little while longer? I can always give you a ride home." Lucy smiled, and pulled Sam in for a hug.
"That would be great." She hummed. "I have some money left over from the day. I can explore a bit longer and grab us dinner on the way out." Sammy offered, and her mom nodded eagerly. One of her coworkers had walked up, intent on talking to Lucy, and Sammy stepped back.
"I know that you're still getting into the rhythm of things Lucy, but I think you're doing great! Maria called in saying she's under the weather; would you mind finishing up the day with Max?" Lucy turned red, and Sam couldn't help but grin. Nodding her mom's way in approval, Lucy turned back.
"Of course, that's fine." She said, trying to keep her cool. "Sammy, just meet me back here around ten, okay honey?" She grinned, and after saying her goodbyes, Sammy held a shit eating grin.
"I can't wait to meet this Max." She beamed, wiggling her eyebrows at her mom. Lucy smiled, hiding it behind her hand, and shook her head at her daughter. Sam took off towards the heart of the rides and games, trying to pass the time. Deciding that carnival food wouldn't be great to take home, Sammy found herself sitting in a quiet Chinese restaurant, quiet music lulling in the background. Bored, and with time to kill, she ordered a bowl of soup and pulled out one of the vampire comics. Turning it over she noticed the chicken scratch phone number written in the back, a Frog Brother's logo above it. Shaking her head, she looked out the front windows of the shop.
The nightlife had come full force, and the sun was long gone. Sammy was lulled in by the dim lighting and quiet atmosphere, forgetting the zoo outside. Soon it all faded out; the lights, the music, the rockers outside, the vampires, the video store. She was in dangerous ground, closing her heavy eyes. The day had taken a toll on her, and Sammy found no harm in taking a breather. Not long after, the bell on the front door rang, alerting Sammy to sit up. Blinking quickly, she focused on the door.
What she didn't expect to see was Marko, glancing down at her.