I tried to have this ready for Halloween, and I apologize for the delay. There's been a lot of mail for this story, and I honestly didn't know if I was going to continue it or not. Thanks to Ben and Curtis for their suggestions.
Daniel
rimshotsplanet@hotmail.com
All God's creatures 2:
Kyle fought his way through a nightmare of images and fear, clawing his way towards the light. There was a brightness before him, comforting him, and he willed himself towards it, but something pulled him back to the darkness.
It was like a film all over his body, an oily darkness that was alive yet dead. He knew he had died, and yet couldn't die. He screamed in pain........
......And sat up in bed gasping for breath and covered in a cold sweat. Only it wasn't sweat. The sheets were tangled around his legs and he pulled at the covers, trying to slow his heartbeat down. Kyle knew this room fairly well. He had made love with Kelly here twice. He looked around for Kelly, easily seeing clear detail in the dark, but he was alone.
Kyle slid to the side of the bed and stood up, slightly dizzy, and steadied him self on the nightstand. There was a note and a glass of juice, and he picked up the paper and read it.
Ky,
Drink this. It'll get rid of the shakiness. Have a shower and come down stairs. We're the same size, wear what you want In the closet, or nothing at all. (wink, wink)
Kelly
Without realizing he'd done it, Kyle drained the glass and set it down. It had a sharp almost electric flavor, like something he couldn't identify but was familiar with. He closed his eyes briefly as a tingling sensation crawled up his spine, spreading warmth throughout his limbs and body. He wadded the note up and moved towards the bathroom, rubbing his still muzzy head.
The shower came on and was left to warm up as Kyle went to the sink and found his toothbrush. He'd bought it a few nights ago and left it here in case he needed it. A mighty yawn caused him to shiver and he leaned on the counter, scrubbing his teeth with his eyes closed, not really wanting to be awake yet. He spat in the sink and winced as something sharp pierced his lip.
"Son of a bitch!" He hissed, touching his lip and looking into the mirror.
He pulled his lips back to find out what happened, and suddenly lost track of what he was thinking. In his smile, the same smile that had greeted him every morning for seventeen years, there were now four very sharp teeth where they weren't before.
"Fuck me." He mumbled, shocked. He touched one of the two longer ones on top, which now hung down a quarter of an inch longer than his old canine incisors had. A cold shiver ran down his spine, and Kyle sagged against the counter. The two on the bottom were not as long, but were just as sharp as he touched them, fascinated and repelled at the same time.
"Oh my god." He whispered. The memory of Kelly draining him on the beach was suddenly very vivid in his mind, and so were the other two instances when Kelly had bitten him. The room seemed to spin, and Kyle sat down heavily on the floor, the full ramifications finally setting in.
"The juice was blood." He mumbled thickly, yet another realization coming through. His mind desperately wanted to be sick, to throw up, but his stomach betrayed him, obviously quite content with its contents. Numbly, he stood up and got in the shower, his eyes and thoughts a million miles away. He couldn't accept the truth, no matter how hard he tried, that there really might be vampires, and that maybe, just maybe, he was one.
As he washed, it dawned on him that he looked different somehow, like his skin was tighter, or that he'd suddenly gotten very buff. Kyle pulled at the skin on his stomach, and could feel the muscle cords very easily, like there was no fat layer. Being a gymnast, he had been in very good shape to begin with, but now it was like he was ultra-cut or something. He shook his head and turned off the water. That was strange, only the hot water was on, but it hadn't burned. With a ragged sigh he stepped out and toweled off. His mood darkened as he sorted through Kelly's clothes for something to wear.
Kelly sat with his legs curled under him on the couch, typing on a laptop computer. He glanced up as Kyle came down the stairs, dressed in nylon jogging shorts and a loose tank top. He smiled and set the computer aside as Kyle walked into the den.
"Wow, you look great!" He said enthusiastically, patting the couch beside him. "Well rested and positively glowing."
Kyle sat down, carefully keeping his mouth closed to hide his teeth. When he spoke, it was in a murmur. "I, uh, feel okay, I guess." For a spanking new vampire, he thought to himself.
Kelly laughed, a lighthearted honest sound, and clapped his hands together.
"That's good. New vampires need their rest."
Kyle felt numb as he looked at Kelly. Did he just have his mind read? "You heard that?" He asked.
'Yes.' The word floated into his mind. He knew immediately that it had come from Kelly, and that it felt like Kelly, but he had no idea how it happened.
"You have a lot of new discoveries to make, Kyle." Kelly took his hand. "I enjoyed your escapade with your teeth in the mirror. I wish you'd smile, though. Your fangs are beautiful." Kelly grinned, and for the first time Kyle saw Kelly's vampire fangs. It was true, they were beautiful, but also caused fear.
"I bit my lip." Kyle smiled half-heartedly.
"I think everyone does at first. It's kind of a new arrangement, isn't it?" Kelly soothed. "Are you hungry?"
Kyle thought for a second. "I'm not sure. How does it feel?"
"Like a strong urge, or a drawing you can't resist. Kind of like chocolate." Kelly stood up and held out his hand. "C'mon, I'll show you a sure fire way to find out."
Kyle stood and took his hand, feeling uneasy as he followed Kelly out into the hallway and towards the stairs. They descended into a clean well-decorated basement, which itself was unusual in Florida. No one had basements here.
Kelly switched on a light and led Kyle to a door. "You're going to be shocked. Expect that. But also realize that you have to survive, and survival goes to the fittest." He opened the door, and Kyle found himself staring at a woman lying on a bed, appearing to be asleep.
"She's a killer." Kelly said, as if conducting a briefing. "She's the one on the news that the cops have been after. I found her, and she confessed. Most of my prey are the scum of the earth."
Kyle stepped next to the bed and looked down at the woman's peaceful face. He could smell her blood, and her pulse literally echoed off his skin. He closed his eyes and swayed slightly, almost intoxicated. Somewhere deep in the recesses of his consciousness, he knew what was going to happen, and he knew it was wrong.
"Wonderful sensation, isn't it?" Kelly said quietly, folding his arms.
"It makes me almost slobber." Kyle grinned and inhaled through his nose. "Like thinking about your favorite food."
"Exactly." Kelly chuckled. "They are food." He watched in satisfaction as Kyle moved towards the woman and tilted her head, stroking her neck.
Kyle felt totally focused on the softness of her skin. He could feel the electrical impulses running through her nerves, the blood rushing through her veins. He could hear he pulse, and it drew him down towards her, his lips pulling back without him realizing it.
Kelly watched silently as his pupil and lover made his first kill, awakening long dormant feelings of pride. Actually, Kelly hadn't felt much of anything for a long time. For decades, boredom had ruled his mind, and the mundane was the order of the day. When he'd accidentally found Kyle at a late night beach party all that had changed. It had taken the greatest of patience to let Kyle mature before he was turned.
"Leave a little blood, Kyle, or the virus will turn her." Kelly gently pulled him back.
Kyle wobbled and sat heavily on the bed. His mind was in sensory overload, and he could feel white-hot fire course into his system. He shivered as a new level of energy swept through him. "Holy shit." He whispered.
"Good, yeah?" Kelly laughed. "You'll always remember her, Kyle. She was your first." He leaned over and used a fingertip to wipe a single drop of blood from Kyle's lip, then licked it off. "I know you have a lot of questions. Lets go back up stairs."
Kyle looked down at the woman and felt his chest tighten. She was dead, and he had done it. Bile rose in his throat, and he swallowed hard. "Do I have to kill everyone to live now?" He asked quietly, unable to look at Kelly.
Kelly put his hands on Kyle's cheeks and gently turned his face. Their eyes met, and Kelly kissed him lightly on the lips. "Kyle, she was a murderer, not Sister Teresa. We do the world a favor."
"I don't want to be a killer." Murmured and squared his shoulders, standing straighter. "Isn't there another way?"
"Yes, there is. We have several blood banks and labs in the world, all owned by feeders like us. If you can't kill, you can get whatever you need from them, but it's not the same." Kelly was obviously repulsed by the idea. "C'mon. There are lots of answers, but not down here." He put his arm around Kyle's shoulders and guided him towards the stairs.
"I don't want to do that again." Kyle said quietly on the steps. He followed Kelly into the den. Kelly sat down and patted the couch, and Kyle sat down and leaned back into Kelly's lap.
"I think you'll change your mind. Most do." Kelly stroked the top of Kyle's head and smiled. "The images that keep going through your head are Hollywood images, not reality."
"I'm having a little trouble with reality right now." Kyle snapped. "Until last night, I thought vampires were fairy tales."
"Of course you did. We like it that way. If you wave the truth in front of people's faces, they ignore it for the most part." Kelly rubbed Kyle's temples to help him relax. "The Hollywood version is complete crap, of course. I've been out in the sun several times to get a tan, and I sat in a church three weeks ago to see a friend get married. A mortal friend."
"So what's true and what's not?" Kyle asked, breathing deeply and allowing himself to loosen up.
"Long story, but you'll enjoy it. For one, we really don't like garlic. The microorganism that causes the change reacts poorly to garlic, making you feel sick and nauseous. It's not lethal, but I'd avoid it." Kelly chuckled. "The church deal is all bogus. I believe in god, but I don't buy into the whole organized thing. None of us do. There are several of us old enough to know the truth."
"How many vampires are there?"
Kelly cocked his head for a second before answering. "About ten thousand worldwide, but you won't see many family reunions. We're mostly loners, but some, like me, prefer to have a companion."
Kyle forced a smile, feeling uneasy and trapped. There was more here than he was getting, he knew that, but he forced himself to remain calm and listen. "What was this organism you mentioned?"
"It's what makes us what we are. No one's sure, but we think that a meteor brought the one-celled things to earth around six thousand years ago. They had to have a host to survive, and they kind of have a group mentality, but real basic, you know? They leave us to run things, and they survive. It's a good deal."
"I liked the deal I had." Kyle said quietly, and then looked up into Kelly's eyes. "Why did you do this to me?" His eyes watered up.
"You may not know it yet, but I gave you gift, Ky. You'll have to get used to it, that's all." Kelly's features melted into a compassionate gaze. "To tell you the truth, I fell in love with you over three years ago, and I've been watching you ever since. You are the most beautiful person I've ever seen."
"Thanks."
"C'mon. I want to cheer you up." Kelly pushed Kyle up and stood, holding out his hand. "I need to change first, though." He indicated the light silk robe he wore. They went up the stairs, and Kelly changed into shorts and a t-shirt. "Put on some sandals or something." He threw a pair over to Kyle.
Kelly adjusted his shoes, and then opened the French doors that led out onto a patio. Kelly walked to the stone pillared rail and looked out before turning to Kyle. "Ever have dreams of flying?" He grinned, flashing his teeth.
"We can fly?" Kyle chuckled in disbelief.
"The organisms have a sort of metal in their structure that can bend gravity. Watch." Kelly raised his arms and slowly lifted off the ground a few inches. Kyle gasped and laughed. "Try it. It's easier than it looks. Just will yourself to raise up."
"This is nuts." Kyle laughed and hesitantly held up his hands. He couldn't believe it, but the proof was right in front of him. Slowly, his mind embraced the idea, and he felt the deck slide under his feet. "Oh, shit!" He giggled, feeling himself rocking into a more natural position. Kelly reached out and took his hand, pulling him up in the air.
"This is way fucking huge!" Kyle screamed, laughing. The lights of the city spread out before them, and Kelly led them higher. "This is incredible!"
"Just one of the side effects. I told you they weren't all bad." Kelly jerked on Kyle's hand and let go, slingshoting him ahead. "Steer yourself, Ky!" He laughed and followed slightly behind the slipping and cart wheeling Kyle. "Hold your arms out."
"Oh, shit!" Kyle tumbled through the air and collided with a palm tree, wrapping his arms around it. He glanced up at Kelly who was cackling as he glided past, and his brows came together in determination. He pursed his lips and pushed off, willing himself to follow Kelly.
Kelly looked back and grinned, arcing in a slow turn so that Kyle could follow and heading out over the ocean. He slowed until Kyle could reach out and take his hand, then pulled him higher until they could make out light but not detail from the city.
"Look." Kelly slid behind Kyle and wrapped one arm around his middle and pointed with the other. "That's our empire. Anywhere we want to go, anything we want to see."
Kyle put his arm over Kelly's. "It's almost perfect." He said quietly.
"What's not perfect? I have everything I ever wanted now that you're here." Kelly kissed Kyle's neck with tiny kisses.
"Oh god that's good." Kyle purred. He opened his eyes and looked down at the city, feeling the tension leave his mind. He found that with little effort he could zoom his vision in on particular details, and he scanned the beach absent-mindedly, distracted by Kelly's roaming hands.
"Wanna go home and fool around?" Kelly whispered in his ear. Kyle grinned and nodded. Kelly took his hand and led him down through the thin clouds towards the ground. Kyle pulled free and stopped momentarily, an errant whiff passing his nose. His eyes narrowed, and Kelly turned to him. "What is it?"
"I think I'm hungry again. I can smell them. It's like it's over powering."
Kelly nodded. "That's pretty normal at first. Reach out with your mind. You'll be able to tell what people are really like in their heads. Look for the blackest heart you can find, then go to it."
"Like a killer or something?" Kyle asked as he closed his eyes. It was almost automatic as his mind expanded and began its search. Immediately he came in contact with a young couple, close to his age, in the throws of very passionate sex. He chuckled and passed them by.
He found a little girl that was watching TV, a surfer sitting on the beach alone, and a girl about twelve that was baby-sitting. He chuckled from time to time, thrilled with this newfound ability. Then he found what he was after.
Near the baby sitter, something dark hid outside the house and looked in the window. Kyle could tell at once that this man in his late thirties wanted to rape the girl, and he was disturbed by what the man was thinking, angered.
"Very good." Kelly said quietly. "Now you understand why I don't mind killing, don't you?"
Kyle instinctively bared his teeth and nearly growled. "He'll kill her, just for fucking jollies."
"What're you going to do?" Kelly asked.
Kyle reacted instantly, veering down in an arc towards the city with Kelly hot on his heels. As Kyle watched in the man's head, the pervert started to form the plan he would use to get to the girl, and even what he would do with her after.
It was like having used motor oil spilled over his consciousness, with shit and stagnant water thrown in. Kyle was infuriated by what he could feel, and by the time he neared the man, he was nearly snarling like an animal.
In the quiet neighborhood, a small white house stood surrounded by hedges. Three houses down, the street lamp shown, its light not reaching the shadows where the man squatted, watching in the window as the girl tucked in two small boys.
He never heard Kyle coming. Kyle slowed hard as he neared the ground, the first sound he made being the touching of his feet to the grass. The man whirled around, brandishing a knife, and Kyle slapped it out of his hand.
"Bye bye, you fucking sicko!" Kyle hissed and moved in, slamming his fangs into the man's throat. He drew hard, feeling the blood flow into him, and the man's fists pounded on his back, a minor nuisance. Just before he had drained too much away, Kyle remembered not to accidentally turn the man into a feeder and pulled back, dropping the limp form to the ground.
He knelt next to his victim and narrowed his eyes, meeting the eyes of a rapist as they died. "Say hello to God for me, asshole." He watched as the terrified eyes glazed over and the man quit breathing. Kyle wiped the back of his hand across his chin and looked up.
Kelly held up a thumb, and then motioned for Kyle to follow, lifting into the air and heading for home. They flew in silence, and Kyle used the time to digest what had happened. He was surprised to find that he felt hollow about his first solo feeding. It was like his emotions had totally shut down. By the time they landed on the patio outside Kelly's bedroom, it was like he'd forgotten it, or at least wasn't able to deal with it anymore. All in all, he thought he'd handled it pretty well, but it bothered him.
"Feel like a shower?" Kelly smiled and pointed at the mirror over the dresser, and Kyle glanced into it, and then nearly fell down in shock. He was covered in blood. His clothes, his skin, his hair, all of it. "You were a bit messy on that one. Might want to work on that."
"Huh." Kyle made a short grunting noise and started to shake. "Jesus Christ." He held up his hand in front of his face and could not stop it. He sank to his knees, keeping his eyes on his hand.
Kelly sighed and knelt down and took a hold of Kyle's wrists. "That's enough. Calm down."
Kyle's face contorted into a grimace. "Look at me! I'm covered in fucking blood, man! This is not my blood, and I'm fucking covered in it!"
Kelly smiled slightly. "Would you rather've left him to do what he was thinking about, and had done to others?"
"I am not a goddamned judge!" Kyle shouted. "I had no right to do that!"
"You had every right!" Kelly thundered. "We have the right to exist just like everyone else! That filth you did the world a favor dispatching was going to RAPE THAT KID! Now knock this off and get over it!"
"Get over it!" Kyle jumped to his feet and advanced towards Kelly, balling his fists up. "You arrogant asshole, you've totally fucked me over! How the hell am I supposed to go home and face my family? Did you even think about that?"
"Do you really want your mother to see you now?" Kelly sneered. "Do you think she'll appreciate the changes? Mommy, I missed you, and oh, by the way, I'm a vampire now. That would be perfect, wouldn't it?" He pointed a finger at Kyle chest and poked him hard, forcing him to stagger backwards. "You better wake up, child. I'm all you've got now!"
"Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven, is that it?" Kyle snarled. He pulled off the blood soaked shirt and threw it at Kelly's feet. "If you're what I'm supposed to become, I'd rather die." He spun around and dodged for the sliding glass door, throwing it open. He felt the deck fall away as he arced up into the air.
"Get back here!" Kelly's voice thundered in his head. Kyle faltered for a second, plummeting down. He held his head, concentrating on clearing it. It throbbed, and he was barely able to keep himself from crashing into the ground. He landed hard on the beach, falling into a roll and ending up with a mouthful of sand.
Kelly stood on the deck outside his bedroom and glanced towards the east. The first twilights of dawn were forming. He looked out towards the beach and smiled. "Reject me, will you? You're about to get the picture." He projected, watching Kyle in his mind as he scrambled across the sand, not far from where he'd died the night before. "See you tonight, if you make it."
Kyle looked towards the house and waited for Kelly to follow him. His skin began to tingle, sort of like an itch, and shifted uncomfortably. "Why did you do this to me?" He sent through his mind. "What right did you have?" There was only silence, and Kyle turned and squinted towards the ocean.
The tingling on his skin was becoming painful. "Oh, shit, the sun." He mumbled and raised his hand up to shield his eyes. He began to look frantically for a place to get out of the light, dodging down the beach towards the pier.
A shadow flashed over him and he crashed headlong into a figure. It stopped him cold, and he looked into a pair of artic blue eyes. A pair of slightly up turned brown eyebrows knitted together, and an insanely strong set of hands caught him harshly by the arms, lifting him of his feet.
"So, he's spawned another one." The figure said, his fangs flashing in the growing light. "Pity he left you die."