Dead in the Gutter

Biieruesu

He met her on rainy Monday covered in blood. Her clothes were pasted to her pale skin and her head was bowed. The streets were empty and the thick winds tugged at his umbrella. He ran. He wasn’t scared for himself, but for her. His arms were full and without the umbrella he was drenched in seconds.

“Are you alive?” he asked, taking a shallow step forward. Her head lifted and she snarled at him, large and pointed teeth and red-ringed eyes. He stumbled back and dropped a roll of bandages. “Crap! Wait right here okay?” He returned to find her, teeth still bared. He was scared, and his arms shook.

“I’m going to help you, is that okay?” She didn’t change her expression and he slowly walked forward. “Under 4.2.6 of the Vampire/Human treaty, you can’t bite me on the grounds of execution.” Despite his words, his heart skipped a couple of beats. Her growl lessoned and her head leaned back against the brick wall behind her. He knelt down and wrapped the muddy bandages around his neck, he wasn’t sure if she’d even care of the penalty and he didn’t risk the chance. He tended to the deep wound on her abdomen and fanned out to the ones on her wrists and hands. “I’m Zeke.” He offered with a smile that soon turned into a frown when she ignored him. His eyes darted around, trying to end the awkward silence.

“So who’d you owe money to?” he laughed and she turned her head. The corners of his mouth twitched, “It’s a joke…” he trailed off and tied the last bandage. He rummaged through his back pack and he pulled out a parka. “It’s pretty rainy out here; you should probably put this on.” He nudged it forward and moved to turn away.

“Why? I’m already wet…” He looked back at her, her deadly eyes staring through him. Zeke smiled.

“Yeah, but you might get sick.” He watched her pick up the parka and turn away. He nodded to himself and walked off. He felt bad about leaving her there, but she wasn’t a puppy; he just couldn’t bring here home and ask his father if he could keep her with big, brown eyes. She looked pretty messed up anyway, and he didn’t really fear her getting up in that kind of condition. He just shrugged it off and kept on walking, shivering slightly. It may have been different if she were human.

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When he stopped by before school the rain had dulled. The blood was gone. All traces of what happened last night had been washed away. He stared down at his shoes for a moment before glancing at where she used to be, leaning against the wall and the large green dumpster. There was a note: Thanks. He smiled to himself, pressing his chin to his chest. He hiked his bag higher on his shoulder and ran to school.

Charlie was standing—no, it was more of a lean—by the vending machines, talking to two sophomore girls. His charm, like always, was barely keeping their interest and by the time Zeke had ran across the campus, they were gone.

“You will not believe what happened last night!” he shouted at Charlie who was already moving on to a freshman who was struggling to get the machines to accept her coin. He dug into his pocket and gave her some quarters. She blushed, thanked him, and scurried off with her packet of donuts. Charlie’s fist shot out and caught him in the arm.

“What are you doing, macking on my women?” he bellowed and Zeke stared at him, with wide eyes as he clutched his arm.

“What are you talking about?! She’s like thirteen!” Zeke rolled his eyes, and huffed. Charlie was such an idiot. “So anyway, I met this vampire last night.”

Charlie’s eyes lightened. “Was she hot?”

“Well…” He hadn’t really noticed between her growling at him, baring her teeth, and being covered in blood.

“Did you get her in bed?” Charlie continued, obviously making up his own story about what happened between him and the vampire.

“No!” Zeke sighed.

“Then what do I care for?” Charlie turned on his heel as Zeke walked to his locker. For a best friend, Charlie was an idiot. He grabbed his history book and walked through the swarming masses of girls who giggled and pointing. He blushed and pushed the sleeves of his uniform up.

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School was inconvenient for the time being. He was a junior and he had already been accepted into the college of his dreams. It was merely a phase of encumbrances: weird friends, cliques, and the knowledge that from then on out the College Board would be watching every minute of his school career. He was glad that next year he’d be able to have classes at school in the morning and college classes at night. It was a sign of progress in his life. It was something good, but he just didn’t feel that way. It was something missing in his life that left him wanting something more. His teachers suggested more extracurricular activities and Charlie said he should “just get laid, party boy” and his father, well, his father hadn’t said much of anything to him the past couple of weeks.

When the speakers announced that the Student Government meeting was postponed until Saturday morning, he was grateful and caught the large, gunmetal gray bus instead of walking home.

A few girls screamed “See ya, mister president!” when he got off and he blushed a bit as he stepped down and began to walk up the large front lawn of his home. The gardener was cleaning out the fountain when he passed and he felt the odd sensation of someone watching him. He turned suddenly and he could hear his heart beating in his ears. He could’ve sworn he felt some one watching him and he hurried across the lawn, and into the house. He felt safer inside, past the security guards who patrolled the front door and felt a large pressure being pulled off his shoulders. He flicked the light on in his bedroom and cast a wary glance down the long hallway behind him. He was just being paranoid. He closed the door behind him and in an instant his body froze and a fearful scream tore from his lips.

The vampire, he thought. She was sitting on the top of his bureau, her head tilted to the side.

“What are you doing here?” he half-yelled, his heart fluttering in his ribcage like a trapped bird.

She jumped down, pure grace and cat-like features. “I’ve come to say ‘thank you’ in person.” It was like she thought it was purely normal for some one to commit trespassing and entering.

“Well, thanks.” He said, his heart rate finally returning to normal. His back straightened and he noticed her eyes were different; they were blue-ringed, instead of the crimson. It was awkward when she didn’t say anything and he tried to stop staring at her.

“Why did you do it?” she asked, her eyes burning into him. She was walking closer and in a matter of moments she was close enough for him to realize that she was several inches taller.

“You scared me.” He said.

“What?”

“You scared me,” he repeated, “when you were sitting on the dresser.”

“Not that,” she looked frustrated. “Why did you help me?” Her eyes flicked to the corner, “It’s a bureau by the way.”

He paused to think over her question. “It was the right thing to do…” He shrugged. “What’s a bureau?”

She shook her head; her eyes narrowed, and closed the distance between them. Her nose brushed against his and her eyes bore into him. His face turned completely red and he looked off to the side.

“Here,” she interrupted and pressed a card into his hand. “If you need me, call me.” His closed his hand around it and suddenly she was gone, a wafting breeze carried the curtain of the open window upwards and he walked to his bed and fell back upon it.

“Whoa,” he said, and covered his mouth, not really sure what this emotion was. Zeke held the card up and looked at it in the fluorescent light. It read: Etienne, (427) 575-7280. He slipped the card into his front pocket, smug, and pulled a pillow over his face.

Now what, Charlie?!

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biieruesu: Please, if you see any errors or things worth critiquing, please let me know. I value reviews. Thank you.