8

Alena and Exodus lay on the bed, him looking down on her. ‘So you’re not going down the club tonight?’

‘No. Zep’s looking after it.’

‘So you trust him?'

‘Yes.’

‘Oh.’

‘We need to talk.’

‘Okay.’ She replied nervously.

‘There are things that you need to know about me, and this city.’

‘Yeah what gives? Why is it so silent? Why doesn’t anyone rise till dark?’

‘This is the city of the dead babe. They should never have woken us.’

‘What!’

‘It’s the city of evil babe. And I suppose that you’ve never heard of it?’

She shook her head.

‘I guess not.’ He paused looking at her. His cold eyes burning into hers. ‘It began centuries past when we were alive like you. We were treated like scavengers, not equal to those that lived here. People can be so evil Al believe me. I saw plenty of blood spill. Heads blown away, limbs decapitated. I even saw my own sister have two spheres go through her body. The only thing was that they couldn’t kill all of us. They killed a few vamps, staking them in the right place. They called us Satan’s children, children of hell, we were diseased and we didn’t deserve to live.

Then the revolt began and lasted for two cemeteries that’s when they finally got us every last one of us.

We fought them ripping them into shreds to fight for our right to stay in the city we were born into. Why should we leave it Al?’

She sat nervously not sure quiet how to answer his question.

‘They carried fire torch’s setting the city ablaze things then were made of wood not like you see now all of brick. More stable.

Anyway those left, left the city after making sure that it was dead, tying all of those left to wooden posts setting us on fire too. Watching as we all came to our death.’

‘But.’

‘Shh.’ He said, placing his finger on her lips. ‘The best is yet to come.’ He said taking his finger off her lips continuing with his tragic story of the dead city. ‘It had been less than another century when newcomers came to the city rebuilding it to what you see today, but even that came with a price us. They weren’t banking on the dead rising. You should’ve seen their faces babe, priceless. Many in disbelief, a little like yours is now.

They walked into the city centre where they were all hung, draw, and quartered by razor sharp nails. Many were killed by the Vamps ripping into their flesh, bleeding them dry. Then there was us, I enjoyed killing like all the others the good old fashioned way by piercing our nails through their flesh slicing them to pieces. We also burned them like we once had watching them die hearing their screams enthralled us even delighted us like it once had with them.’

‘But you don’t look dead.’

‘That is because the more we kill the stronger we become, the more we look like you.’

‘You’re lying right?’

‘Did you not listen to what I just said? I’ve just told you what I am.’

‘I-I-I.’ she said stuck for words.

His face altered a long pointed nose, and ears, he growled.

Her head sunk into the pillow breathing thinly. Bearing his sharp incisors. She lay shaking.

His face reconstructed to his originality.

‘You’re a shapeshifter?’

‘Not exactly. Demon devil if you prefer that. Yes I can change my shape.’

‘Shit you weren’t screwing with me. I’ve been screwing the dead!’

‘Technically speaking I’m alive, just resurrected.’

‘Why haven’t you killed me?’

‘I need something of my own.’

‘So you’ve killed other girls?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘They were not you. My brother seems to think there is something about you.’

‘Yeah like there’s something about you. I’m not dead you are.’

‘Look into my eyes.’

She fixed her eyes on his. Staring into them, deep inside them. He stared into hers seeing no reflection of the fires that burned in his. ‘Why aren’t the fires burning?’

‘Because you.’

‘Why can you see them burning in my brothers, and not mine?’

‘Because he has them, and you don’t. He is so warm, and you’re so cold. I can’t crack it unless you trust me. Then and only then I will be able to see them.’

‘So you trust Zep?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well trust me then.’

‘I’m trying.’

‘I’ve told you everything.’

‘Trust is not just about knowing the truth, it's so much more X. It’s about feeling too. You have no idea what the living are all about do you?’

‘Show me.’

‘You know how to screw, you just need to learn how to love. Your brother’s touch was so gentle, so warm, so welcoming. He listened when we talked, if you could get that right then maybe you could understand me.’

He smiled.

Exodus leaned forward placing his lips on hers kissing her, she returned his kiss. Kissing hungrily.