Category : Books-Fiction

Sub Category : Thriller

Four o clock at afternoon was passing, old chair was screeching from time to time, the light coming from the window was fading until the dawn completely swallow it. It was Tonny’s time to keep on post, and despite the long day at work he didn’t even blinked the entire night. Alex was the same – lifeless, like a doll with a human face arranged for a scary movie.
“How could I…”
Downstairs at the big living room, darkened again by the long heavy dark blue curtains, sitting in one of the chairs was Michael, holding his head in his hands, tormented by guilt.
“It’s not your fault, you know it.”
“And whose fault is then?” he raised his turned red from the insomnia eyes, his hand shaked trying to reach his glass.
“He is in this condition because of me! If I wasn’t there…”
“If you weren’t there they could kill him and nobody would know to bring him back home!” said Chaz, sitting on the armrest. “He saved your life.”
“Again. And I put his life at risk.”
“Alex chose to help a friend, do you understand what a responsibility is that? “ Chaz slammed with his fist on the table so loud Michael trembled.
Usually he was the one lecturing others, he was like a father for the entire band, watching if they are not overdo with anything. Mike was always the wise one, the responsible; he always was thinking about consequences and was acting according what was the best for all of them. 
But now he felt how he was losing it. He knew no way to help his friend, he wanted so desperately to go out here and shoot all goddamn hunters he could find. He realized the anger was about to overcome him and then things would get out of control.
“You are not so different, you know, you and him” Chaz told him. “Just you are trying to control yourself, and he always was impulsive and first shoots then ask. But in your core you are the same.”
Mike didn’t answered, more than ten years passed since in that day he opened his door for him, creature of the night, because he could swear he saw a human in him. Since then the taming of Alex took many victims. He bites every one of them, not once. One time he almost killed Michael in an act of temporary insanity, or he called like that but he knew it was only his nature.
Michael always tried to justify his acts and defend him, what if this time he had to let him go? Alex wasn’t a kid, he had his own way to go, and what if this way after all was leading here. 
Mike stand up and went to the window, which was showing a view of the big garden outside, guarded by the gargoyle Harvey. That was another madness Alex was tried to scare them with, once you came home and installed the huge ugly statue in front of the door made of turned green in time stone. It was almost human size and the look of the creature itself brings shivers on you.
Gargoyles were mythical creatures like ghouls or ghosts, people put them on edges of roofs on buildings at the middle ages believing they would protect them from dark power. They could look like something between human and dragon, some of them have horns or wings, tooth muzzle, but all of them had long stuck into the stone nails. People actually believed ugly statues protected them; Mike just wanted to believe he doesn’t need protect boys from the stone monster. Sometimes, passing it by he had that feeling he has been watched. 
“Morning” Tonny entered and came to the sofa where he dropped saying something he would sleep till the end of the month.
“Any change?”
“No.”
Michael sight and pressed his shoulder, he was starting to think Will was right about that night, if he wasn’t there it could not happen. Alex would be killed anyway but he would not the guilty one. As if he would feel better if that happens.
“Did someone…?”
He thought he just saw a shadow at the yard between the trees, but after a moment it disappears.
“You are imagining things, Mike.”
“I thought I saw…”
At the next moment all of them had to put hands on their ears, piercing sound from the alarm was about to make them deaf. Tonny who was asleep on the coach jumped scared.
“What happens?”
“I don’t know, why for god’s sake it doesn’t shut up!?”
Mike reached the door with one hand pressed to his ear trying to turn off the alarm installation, he had that feeling his eardrums are about to explode.
“Stop the damn thing!” Chaz shout.
“I am trying…”
But he couldn’t finish what he started, the front door was broken and a group of men entered and knocked him down.
“On the floor, bitch!”
The larger among them put his shoe on his shoulder, a sound of breaking came and Mike cried in pain.
“You, check the first floor, Jose, you and I will get the second. Where is the bloodsucker?” he asked, pressing even harder into his injury, Mike blackened out from the pain.
“Get out of him!” Tonny came out pointing the man with the same gun, but he just waved and almost broke his arm, Tonny drop the gun, second hit made him fall on the floor. 
“We don’t know where he is” Chaz tried to gain some time, shouting above the still turned on alarm. He take a look around to find something he could use to attack the huge man walking toward him, but he would cause him harm if only he throw concrete mixer against him.
Mike growled trying to stand up, pain was making him shake, his eyes turned to the stairs for the second floor, and he could hear the mess up there.
“No, leave them alone!”
Will and Alex was still there, they should kill them both.
Michael supported on his healthy arm forcing himself not to fall again. He would not let them reach his friends, no matter what it would cause him.
Just then a cry came from the upstairs.
“Mike! Run!”
At the living room hunter was about to reach Tonny and Chester, what he was about to do? He screamed in despair and grabbed to the railing.
“Alex!” he shouted. “Alex, get out!”
He wanted to believe they weren’t stab him at his heart with a silver yet. He started climbing but there was no way for him to help them. Without ever realizing it he fell on his knees and the pain broke him.
“I’m sorry!”
Now the hunters would kill them all just because he didn’t listen a few nights ago. He knew where that path was leading, Alex warned him not once or twice, but he prefers to ignore his words.
 
Moment later unimaginable crash came behind him, pieces of coat from the wall came with it, case of the door was removed and fell on the floor turning everything in dust.
Mike raised a hand above his head but before he could see anything through his glasses covered with dust, a cry came from the stairwell and turned his blood into ice in his veins.
“Harvey! Come here, boy!”
 On the top of the stairs was standing vampire, darkness around him could make the heart even of the bravest man die from fright. Before even realize it Michael saw something with human size flying through the door, stone alike monster which was standing in front of the door. 
It’s skin was grey and rough as a stone, creepy dark eyes and huge ribbed wings. Muzzle as a dragon, his big heavy skull was ending with curled ram’s horns. 
Creature made creeping cry and silenced, bowing to his master. 
“Rid us from the uninvited guests” ordered Alex and the stone monster entered the living room, screams and sounds of breaking bones came from within.
Michael was standing numb watching at him, who came down and stands above him. Mike shakes but somehow knew he wasn’t going to hurt him. And still he knew Alex from many years, here and knows there was something tangible dark around him.
“You are alive?” he asked amazed. “How?”
“You called for me.” said the vampire, standing before the mortal in all of his power and dark charm.
“I was calling for you for two weeks!” drop it Michael. “Me and the boys guarded your bed every night, why you didn’t hear any of us then?”
“Your life was in danger.”
Alex came helping him step on his feet, then they went to the living room through the ruins.
“Alex?!” Chaz eyes were about to pop up from his head, holding an empty bottle against the stone monster, which was took the body of the hunter for his leg and about to jump on him once more. “What is going on here? Anybody?”
“Go upstairs and help Will” was the only thing he said. 
Then he pointed the door to the gargoyle, which went that direction carrying the body the same way, dragging it, Chaz drop the bottle watching at it.
“May I ask” started Mike, when Chaz when boys went upstairs helping Will. 
Alex ignored him, checking his shoulder, he gave him from blood and the pain started fading.
“Hervey?” Alex turned his eyes to the door and smiled for the first time. 
“You told me it is an alarm system!”
“I told you he will guard the house” replied Alex. 
“I knew there was something creepy about the damn thing! Where did you find him?”
“Long story. You would not like it.”
Mike realized he was avoiding looking him in the eye.
“Try me.”
A smile came on vampire’s face, cold smile, he finally looked at him. Mike could feel the cold waves coming from him, for first time after the night he let him in he asked himself if he was safe with him around.”
“Harold was a guard to one of the satan’s portals they tried to threw me through it during the holocaust at Paris, 1739. When they failed, they tried to threw him too, I saved him. He is true to me after that.
“He… Doesn’t he need to… feed? With something? Someone?”
Alex laughed, but even his laugh was cold.
“He is a stone statue. When he finishes with the garbage, he will go back on his post. He never attacks people if he hasn’t been told to.”
He stand and moved across the room, checking the broken furniture, he didn’t look at him again. Alex knew his friend could sense the change, but he didn’t want to scare him.
And of course he was dark, he was made from darkness, when that day he came knocking on his door asking to join the band as a cover, it was the top of all insane things Mike would ever do, but he accept. 
Mike was regretting his decision many times after that, afraid, but he never asked him to leave. But now Alex came alive lie from nowhere and what Michael saw in him scared him even more than the death warning in his eyes.
“What happened with you?” he couldn’t hold it anymore.
Alex who was walking on the stained in blood carpet stop, as he was surprised by the question.

Boys was hurrying to fix the mess, left from hunters, Will was with pulled off left shoulder and bruised jaw, he had to go to the hospital. After they were assured bodies were gone from here and Harvey was back on his pedestal.
“Are you sure you will be alright? – Chaz asked, other guys were already waiting at the car.
“I’m fine, go with them.”
And when the sound of the engine faded down the alley he said:
 “You didn’t answer to me.”
Obviously Alex had no intention to do it, but then he just said: 
“I wasn’t planning coming back.”
“What?” Mike just drop the glass of scotch he was drinking. He probably would need more than one.
“I had no intention coming back” repeated Alex. 
That numb feeling from the first surprise after his words just started to fade out, Mike frown.
 “Yeah, I heard that.”
“I lived for four hundred years. I’m tired.”
He was looking at the ground, not even once to Michael.
“Oh, so you are tired.”
He got his glass from the ground and throw it to the wall. 
“And you was about to leave everything? Band, music, you was about to leave even her?”
 “We talked about that” said Alex without a will of talking. 
“Yes, we have! Try acting like an adult for once in your life!
“She is human, man! I have to kill her to be with her. You know she would never forgive me.”
“Then kill her, damn you!”
Mike was mad, he was about to hit him.
“Do what you have to do!”
“Is that so?” Alex was finally pissed off. “Kill her? As I killed you?”
Mike silenced turning his eyes, but he wanted to say more. 
“Isn’t that enough for you?” he asked, pointing around him. “All of this. Isn’t that clear enough for you? This is my entire life, I have nothing more to expect!”
They finally stand face to face against each other. Michael was expecting anything else, but not this. He knew why he accepted him that day, but he prefer to fool himself. He knew some day Alex should die but he was expecting him to outlive them all, he never feared hunters, not for himself but for him.
“So you are going to leave us?” he started again. “After all?”
“I’m tired” he repeated. 
“You are going to leave me.”
At the day he found him on that road at the limits of his power, Michael took him without expecting being thanked or payed for that. But in time however abnormal it was, Alex became his best friend. Their best friend. They experienced enough for a human life and he was hoping it’s the same for him. He needed to believe his ideas have been shared by someone.
“You gave me more than any human could give me” said the vampire. “You never judged me, but I am living with the thoughts of every people I killed, and for myself.”
“Running away isn’t a solution.”
“There is no solution for me” he said, long black hair fell upon his face. “I am dead; I am living in my death so long. I am tired, Mike, I just want it over.”
Standing before him, Michael understood.
“What do you want me to tell the boys?”
Alex raised his sight as he was asking for confirmation.
“And you are going to let me?”
“You owe me nothing. I have no right of stopping you.”
Alex stand up, they were looking at each other for a few seconds, then Alex reached his and and Mike took it. 
“Tell them I will be back.”
Then he went out through the broken door walking down the alley under the spruces shadow, opened the yard iron door and disappeared on the street.