Ludub

Nope! hahahahahaha! You're smarter than the average bear, aren't you?

OH MY GOD! I loved this! Brody and his Bart Simpson pants! (I'm obviously a bit slow because I literally only just got the connection between them and his old name! duh!) Loved him reappearing like a 'whack a mole'. Very nice imagery there! haha! He has a bit of a meerkat look about him! I'm glad he took my suggestion though, and went for a knife instead of a weaponry mostly made up of small red fruits Although maybe it still hasn't done him any good. Irene knowing how sexy fishnet tights are because of the dating shows that Chris makes her watch?! lol! I have to say, once again, thanks for that mental image Pembie! So Tori thinks that licking a toad is preferable to kissing one?! I'm really not sure that either option appeals that much, but surely licking would be a lot worse?! Mind you, from your description of their kiss, she might be right! I literally spat my drink out at this! lol! and I loved this: Where do you get these ideas from?! Oh, and my lovely Chris wreaking havoc and trapping everyone in a time loop?! Kind of reminded me of the scene in Father Ted where Dougal just can't resist pressing that big red button that says 'do not press'. Can you blame him really?! Don't put big shiny buttons on things if you don't want people to press them. Love how bouncy and silly Chris is in this (so true to character). I don't blame Matt for running off with him instead of Evie, not one bit! I've probably missed loads of bits out that I meant to comment on. Just very funny!

As I said guys, sorry the big delay between chapters! Hope you like this new one! WARNING: ADULT THEMES & VIOLENCE Chapter 12 Back to Saturday night (after Morten left the drug den) … Brody sat huddled on the sodden mattress, staring all around him, and waiting for Morten to return. To say that he was dazed and confused would be a massive understatement. He genuinely couldn’t figure out what had just happened. Was it real, or had he somehow taken leave of his senses and imagined the whole thing?! How could he be a vampire, he asked himself?! How could he have done this terrible thing?! He’d drunk that poor girl’s blood and nearly killed her! He’d actually sunk his teeth into the neck of that dirty and pathetic young girl and drunk her blood… but more than that, he’d continued to drink her blood even though he’d known that he was killing her! He’d ignored her silent pleas. Ignored that voice in his head that asked him over and over to stop! Begged him to stop before he killed her. He’d even ignored Morten when he’d ordered him to let her go! He’d wanted to do it. He’d wanted to kill her. In that moment, he would happily have let her die if it meant that he could have what he wanted… To possess her. To take all that she had to give. To take it all! But what did that mean for him? Was he a monster?! Was he a cold-blooded killer that would stop at nothing? Had he lost all humanity?! Because this just wasn’t something that humans did! and it definitely wasn’t something that Brody Morgan would do! So, what the hell was wrong with him?! “Heyyyy, maaaate?” slurred a young boy, who had stumbled his way across the room in that zombie-like way that heroin addicts have about them. He looked like he was half-asleep and being dragged along by someone not very skilled at puppetry. “Do you have any… any gear?” he asked, in a slurred sort of way, “Can you… can you hhhhhelp me out?” He was scratching at an open wound on his arm and barely able to keep his eyes open. “Huh?!” asked Brody, looking up at him in surprise. The boy was filthy in a way that was almost Dickensian, with massive holes in his clothes, and bare feet so dirty it was clear that he hadn’t washed for months. He knew that he must stink to high heaven of body odour and dirt, but all he could smell was hot sweet blood. He could see a vein pulsing in his neck too. He wanted to bite him! “I’m just asssssking, man… have you got any… you know?” asked the young boy, as he picked a little absently at the scab on his elbow. “No… I uh…” said Brody, getting to his feet and taking a step backwards, “I don’t do that stuff…” He knew that it wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge. He wanted to bite him so badly! The more he breathed in his scent, the more he wanted to drink his blood. He could already tell that his would taste different to the young girl’s that he had just drunk. More of a spicy flavour than sweet. He could smell it, almost taste it, as it wafted towards him now. It was like smelling a plate of particularly enticing food. Very hard to resist. He took another step backwards in an effort to remove temptation from his reach. This wasn’t what he wanted! He didn’t want to be a killer! “Whatarrrr you doing here then?” asked the boy, taking a step towards him and eyeing the backpack on the floor. “Nothing” said Brody, “I’m just waiting…” “Waitinnnnnnnng for what?” asked the boy, as he glanced towards the door. A small flash of paranoia passed over his face. “I uh…” stammered Brody, as he tried his best to drag his eyes away from that ‘oh, so juicy’ looking vein in the kid’s neck, “I… uh… Someone brought me here… I’m waiting for them to get back…” The boy glanced up at him with a look of suspicion. He obviously didn’t believe him and wanted to go through that bag in case he was hiding his stash there. Everyone in this place was on something. It wasn’t like you’d just stumble in for a look around and have a sit down. The place was rat and flea-infested and full of junkies. There were needles everywhere! No-one would end up in a place like this if they had any other choice! Of course, he was using! Everyone was! “What about money?” he asked, as he gazed at Brody’s strange ‘old man’ clothes. Anyone that didn’t look like a hobo had to have some money on them somewhere, and Brody looked like he’d just come from a golf club! “Can you give me some monnnnnney?” he asked, “I just need a hit… somethinnnng to take the edge off… You know what it’s like…” “I don’t have any money” said Brody, as he turned the pockets of his trousers out to emphasise the point. It was true. He didn’t have a penny to his name. “What’s in the bag?” asked the boy, as he suddenly made a grab for it. “That’s not yours!” said Brody, snatching it away from him. For some reason, he felt like he should safeguard the girl’s stuff. He may have nearly killed her, and drunk half of her blood, but letting someone steal her meagre possessions seemed like a bridge too far! “Come on!” moaned the boy, “I just wannnnna look!” “It’s not yours!” repeated Brody, as he held it out of his reach behind his back, “You can’t have it!” The boy suddenly produced a knife and made a slashing motion in his direction that was so clumsy, it was almost in slow motion. Brody tried to step out of the way but tripped over the mattress and staggered back towards the knife-wielding kid. The two of them ended up on the floor with him on top of the boy. “****!” exclaimed the boy, as Brody pulled away from him. The knife had made a large cut in his arm and blood was streaming out at an alarming rate. “Oh ****!” he shouted, as he watched in a mesmerised sort of way. He was too shocked to do anything about it. Brody stared down at it, and licked his lips as he watched the hot sticky blood running like treacle across the boy’s flesh. This was too much! He could hear the beat of the boy’s heart as it thumped in his chest. ‘Thump, thump, thump, it went, picking up momentum… He was obviously starting to panic. “Call someone!” pleaded the boy, as he finally came to his senses and clamped his hand across the wound. “Please?!” he begged, “You need to get help!” Brody couldn’t take his eyes off the blood that was now spilling through the boy’s fingers and dripping onto the floor. He had never wanted anything more! In a sudden flurry of movement, he had the young boy pinned to the floor, and had sunk his teeth deep into the flesh of his already bloody arm. The boy let out a loud scream, but was quickly silenced as Brody covered his mouth with an iron fast grip. He kicked and he bucked but all to no avail. Brody had preternatural strength now so holding him still wasn’t difficult. “Mmmmmmhhhhhrrrrrmmmmmmm!” screamed the boy, staring at him in pure terror as he watched him rip at the blood vessels in his arm. Tears were pouring from his eyes as he stared at the monster now devouring him. ‘Please?!’ he heard him say inside his head, ‘I don’t want to die! I’ll be good, I’ll get clean… Please don’t kill me!’ ‘It’s all fine’ he told him, as the blood coursed over his tongue, ‘Just relax… I’m not going to kill you’ He held him to the ground with his hand clamped across his mouth, and pulled and pulled at the blood with great urgency. He’d been right about the taste. It was different! Spicier and more ‘meaty’ than the girl’s had been. His ‘chef’ instincts were telling him that everyone must have a very different flavour! He couldn’t wait to try them all! He could feel that the end was nearing for his victim but he couldn’t stop now. Not now that he’d started. It wasn’t that he was hungry, it was just so exhilarating to feel the life drain out of him! To feel their hearts beating in unison and see inside his head. He could see that the boy was from a wealthy background. Private school education, and all the money that he could want, but no love or attention from his high-flying parents. He’d started taking drugs to get their attention but his need had gotten out of control and he’d burnt all his bridges now. He was alone and so very very sad! ‘Just give into it’ he told him, as he bucked violently just one more time, ‘There’s no use fighting it…’ The blood was still coming thick and fast, but the boy’s terrified heart was starting to slow and his skinny little body had gone completely limp. He wasn’t struggling anymore! ‘Am I really going to do this?!’ he asked himself, as he glanced at the dazed and tear-stained face of his victim, ‘Am I going to be this monster?! Am I going to kill someone…?’ “No!” shouted a loud and other-worldly kind of voice, “Let him go!” There was a flash of white in his peripheral vision and he knew that he was back. It was Morten! He knew it immediately! “Let him go now!” roared Morten. Pure fear made him comply immediately. He didn’t want him choking him again like he had the last time, or following through on his threats. He reluctantly let go of the boy and pulled away from him. “I told you to wait for me!” growled Morten, as he shoved him out of the way and kneeled down to check the boy still lying on the ground. “I told you to wait!” he repeated, “I’ve just spent an hour sorting out your other mess and now you’ve created another one!” “Sorry” mumbled Brody, as he stared at his victim. The boy had gone a pale blue sort of colour but he did seem to still be breathing. At least he hadn’t killed this one either! “I didn’t… I wasn’t going to…” he stammered, but he knew that his thoughts were betraying him. He had intended to kill him and Morten knew it! “Not him” said Morten as he raised the boy into a sitting position and then swiftly broke his neck his with a sickening crunch noise, “You don’t kill someone until I tell you to.” He lay the drained and broken body down on the mattress and covered him with an old blanket. “They won’t find him for a day or two” he said, as he turned to a thoroughly shocked looking Brody, “At least not till the smell gets too much to ignore…” Brody was standing there with his mouth hanging open. Somehow, drinking his blood to the point of death had seemed acceptable to him, whereas snapping his neck like a twig had a brutality to it that he hadn’t been prepared for! He felt sick to his stomach! “Come on?” said Morten, as he got to his feet and motioned with his head for him to follow. He began to lead him towards the door. Brody obediently trailed behind him and picked his way through the debris on the floor and the bits of random furniture blocking the way. Before he knew it, they were standing outside in a darkened alleyway. It was the middle of the night and there wasn’t a soul around. “You need to go home” said Morten, as he dangled a set of car keys in front of his face. “Park it near your house and I’ll come pick it up tomorrow… I have some things I need to take care of.” “Home?!” exclaimed Brody, “I can’t go home… Not like this! …What if they realise?!” “You do what I say!” threatened Morten, “You go home and you get your affairs in order.” “My what?!” asked Brody, as he tried to concentrate, “What are you talking about?!” He was still reeling from the fact that they’d just walked away from a murder scene, and he was at least partially responsible for someone’s death. His mind and his heart were racing! He was horrified! “You have a week” Morten said to him, as he fixed him with a cold stare, “A week to say goodbye to your human life…” “My human life?” repeated Brody. He really wasn’t following this. “A week to say goodbye… Morten… I?” “I’m going to give you one week” nodded Morten, “One week to say goodbye to the life that you knew… and to choose…” “Choose?!” asked Brody, “Choose what?!” This was all getting very strange. First he’d lured him here and given him a sort of blood prostitute, and now he was sending him home to say his fond farewells. To say goodbye to the family that he loved. Surely this couldn’t be real?! He was going to wake up any moment… right? “I’m going to let you choose” smiled Morten. He obviously thought this whole thing quite amusing. “You get to choose which one of your siblings you want to kill?” “What?!” gasped Brody, “…but… but why?!” How could he be expected to kill one of his family?! One of the people that he loved?! “Because I tell you to” said Morten, regarding him with lizard-like empathy, “And because you’ll never be truly mine if you can go back to them… You have to make them fear you and hate you… If you kill one of your siblings, you can never go back.” “I’ll stay! I’ll stay with you!” promised Brody, “I won’t go near them ever again… I’ll be dead to them!” “No” he said, with a cruel little laugh, “They need to be dead to you.” He put his arm around his shoulder and gave him a squeeze in a way that might have been affable, but was actually on the bone-crushing side. “And just in case you get any bright ideas” he warned, “If you don’t kill one of them by this time next week, I’ll kill them all and make you watch!”

Glad things are finally moving in the right direction! It's good that Kyle's foster family were able to make it there so quickly and that they're all getting on well. Looking forward to the next chapter x

Groan Will you ever get tired of these puns?

Haha! Well, what would you say to your brother if he told you he was a vampire? Especially if the hospital had a very different take on what happened to him? Thank you! I love Justin, and his relationship with his family, so I'm trying very hard to get his tone right. Haha! Maybe so? You aren't looking at your brother thinking 'hmm, he looks tasty'? Thanks for the kind comment s everyone, and apologies for the big delay in updating. Got a bit distracted with my other story. I'll try to get the new chapter up tonight or tomorrow x

God Phoebe, was that so hard?!!! How much nearly dying does Kyle need to do before she fesses up?! I'm just glad it's out in the open now! Looking forward to the next chapter x

Noooooooooooo!!!! Not Matt!!! Not his beautiful face! Hasn't he ever watched any horror films? I mean, I don't watch a lot of them but even I know not to open the door and go shouting into the darkness! So, Hunters dad is Where's Wally? . I can understand his wariness when it comes to this crazy man that shouts the whole time and keeps talking about time machines... and it seems odd that Wally needs to protect the world from witches but hooked up with one to make a child. Was Charlotte just that hot?! Loved the plothole reference and Alf's surprise at finding Morag not 'in the city' like she told him. Brody sounds like a man with a plan! Lol! Cherrybombing the coven of witches currently overtaking his restaurant?! He does have a kitchen full of sharp and pointy things. Maybe he should think about using those before resorting to throwing tomatoes! Lol! And his poor little beard?! You know I don't like to think about anything bad happening to it I can also sympathise with Tori. I too have a habit of turning up places in a rather disheveled state. The dragged through a hedge backwards look is all too familiar, sadly... We can't all be graceful. Can't wait to see what happens now that Chris pushed that button!

Okay, so I don't know how you did it but you've somehow surpassed yourself in the weirdness stakes! I absolutely loved your opening paragraph where you bring us up to speed with the fact that everyone is exactly where we left them 2 chapters ago, and poor Hunter has been whistling like a kettle all that time! lol! Very very funny! Much like Red, I couldn't figure out for the life of me what Hunter had turned into, so thanks for clarifying! I thought he was some sort of Leprechaun with wings and arrows... haha! The highlight for me has to be Chris and Matt though. Love how sort of normal Matt is in this, compared to totally bonkers Chris! And Morag would have to be the head witch (that makes sense!) LOVED IT!

Understatement of the century! lol!

OH. MY. GOD! I love this! I always manage to leave something out but here we go... I love Chris in this chapter! You've written him so well. Totally bonkers, but strangely true to the Chris we all know and love, and I love him and Matt as a gay couple too. Funny that he believes in baby-delivering storks and Harry Potter, but not in dragons, lol! Alf trying to get himself drunk enough to find Irene attractive (depite her puss-filled nose) is probably familiar to people up and down the country, and why people drink so much as a rule! lol! The description of Alf and Irene tonguing was just about as disturbing as it gets! Thanks for that image - I want to wash my brain out now! Brody's constant references to Ash as a dreamboat? I actually think they might make a good couple, although maybe not now that he's a toad haha! Love that his one line is in upper case characters because Ash is incapable of speaking at a normal level ...and Kat? Well, you know how much I love her? So sad that she's been reduced to a pile of ash. I would have high-fived Chris for that joke absolutely!

I was wondering if they were going to swap partners again It could happen in this story!

What the...?! Lol! I don't know where to start with this one... although I have to admit, I can see how some elements of this story made it onto the page. Those drugs were strong, weren't they?! Alf's ridiculous stream of Alfisms had me chuckling, as he tried to walk the line between being seriously annoyed at Irene, and not losing the possibility of a cheeky legover with the 'mother of dragons'. Loved this line in particular! “What the actual stone my gibbets with a flaming hammer and barbecue my chunky sausages what in the flaming hell……” I'd loved to hear Ray Meagher utter that line! I really would! I also loved Tori's clumsiness, and her desperate efforts to get to her date (or dates?), despite everything that life threw in her path. Her soundtrack was eclectic to say the least! Who goes from Christina Aguilera, to Queen, to Jimmy Nail?! Is she completely mental?! I can understand Billie being upset about her moustache, and having posters of her with it stuck up all over her boyfriend's room. hahaha! Loved this chapter! Even more bonkers than usual!

My goodness! So much positivity in this chapter... just makes you feel warm and fuzzy, doesn't it?! You know the section I'm gonna go to first (predictable as always!) I loved the Josh and Phoebe scene, and I'm so glad that things are going so well for him (now that Alf has pulled some serious strings for him!) and that he's going to visit Andy (finally!). Made me a bit emotional really. Lovely to hear about all the happy couples that didn't make it to the Bay to say goodbye, particularly that Nick and Jade are together (yay!). Annie and Jai is nice too. Even if she was one character that couldn't help but get on my nerves, I'm glad that future Annie is happy! So? That's the end then? I'm kind of sad about that. I wanted to continue on this trail, finding out what happened to everyone and how they all got together / back together. I've really enjoyed this! Thanks so much for sharing Red! x

Yes, maybe the wording of that was a little off. The brown eyes are Justin's, Brody is doing the looking, haha!

Well here's something to do of a lazy Sunday, other than 'sharpen your spike'! lol! Hope you all enjoy this one! WARNING: ADULT THEMES & SEXUAL CONTENT! Chapter 11 Tuesday morning, just before sunrise… Brody gently slid the bedroom window open and climbed inside as quietly as he could. He stopped and listened to the sounds of the house for a moment, registering the thumping heartbeats now surrounding him, and trying to figure out if anyone was awake. He counted: one, two, three, four, five… all accounted for, even Buddy. They all seemed quite slow and steady, so he figured that they must all be asleep. He gave a little sigh of relief as he turned and slid the window closed behind him and then pulled the curtains across. This would do for now, he thought, but he knew that he was going to have to find a more suitable place to sleep, and soon! A vampire couldn’t sleep so close to a source of light with only linen curtains to protect him! He would have to find a basement or a cupboard that he could lock from the inside. Suddenly there was a little click and the room was filled with light! Someone had turned on the bedside lamp! He spun around to see who it was. “Where have you been?” asked Justin. He was lying on the bed fully clothed and squinting up at him in a sleepy sort of way. He’d obviously been waiting for him. “That’s none of your business!” snapped Brody. He was a little startled to find him in the room. He’d thought from the sound of his heartbeat that he was on the other side of that wall. “What are you doing in my room?!” he demanded to know. “I just came to look in on you” sighed Justin, “We were worried about you, Brodes… Y’know… after…” “After I told you I was a vampire?” replied Brody “After that?” “Yeah, mate…” said Justin, with a little tilt of the head, “Don’t you know how worried you’ve had us?! Why would you sneak out like that?!” “Uhhh… maybe cos I’m a vampire!” laughed Brody, as he went and sat down on the chair beside his desk, “That’s kind of what vampires do… go out late at night and drink people’s blood!” He figured if they’d already decided he was crazy, then he might as well play along! “Brody!” sighed Justin, “Can you stop this, please?!” “Stop what?” he shrugged in reply, “Stop telling you the truth?!” “Stop this nonsense!” groaned Justin, “You know there’s no such thing as vampires! You know that!” “Fine, Justin!” he said, with a sarcastic little smirk, “There’s no such thing as vampires…” “There isn’t!” repeated Justin, now sitting on the edge of the bed, “Just think for a minute, mate… Just think about what you’re saying… You know that it isn’t true!” “I said ‘fine’” laughed Brody, “I said that vampires don’t exist… What more do you want from me?!” “I want to believe that you believe that” sighed Justin. “You can’t believe in something that you don’t” said Brody, “And you can’t not believe in something that you do… so I guess, we’re gonna have to agree to disagree!” “Urrrrhhhhh! Brody?!” groaned Justin, “How can you be this…. this…?!” “This what?!” asked Brody. He could see how frustrated this whole thing was making Justin. On the one hand, he felt bad for scaring and worrying his family like this, but on the other, he couldn’t help finding it a little amusing. Justin looked like he was about to explode. “I don’t know” sighed Justin, “You just don’t seem like ‘you’…” He gave an involuntary little laugh. Justin had no idea how big an understatement that was! “I feel like… like I lost my brother on that beach” said Justin, “I feel like I got someone else back on Sunday… He looks a lot like Brody… but he’s not him.” “Maybe cos he’s a vampire?!” asked Brody with a little smile. He knew that no matter how many times he said it, Justin just wasn’t going to believe it. There was something very freeing about not being believed. “Brody! This is wearing really thin!” complained Justin, “Mate, I know something terrible happened to you on Friday… and I think maybe it’s too hard for you to deal with… so… so, you’ve come up with this ‘vampire’ thing… to I don’t know… like some sort of crutch?” “You think I’m in denial?” he asked, with a raise of his eyebrows. “I think maybe you really believe this whole vampire thing” said Justin, “But deep down, you know it’s not true… You know that.” “Or I’m actually a vampire?” laughed Brody, “…and I’m looking at you right now and thinking how tasty your blood would be to drink…” Justin gave him a withering look and ignored what he saw as an empty threat. “Maybe this room is filled with the smell of your blood and it’s taking everything I have not to bite you right now?” “Can you just stop?!” snapped Justin. “I’m just trying to tell you how I feel, Justin…” “Brody, you need to stop this!” he said, “We’re here for you and we want to help you through this… But you have to let us help you…” “Okay… then maybe you could get Tori to run out to the haematology department” replied Brody, “…and get me a nice pint of O negative?” “Seriously, Brody?!” snapped Justin. His patience was wearing thin. “What?!” laughed Brody, as he spun himself around on the desk chair, “I’m just being honest with you… You said I could talk to you about anything at all!” “I meant the… the…” “The rape?” asked Brody, in a mock whisper. Justin sat and looked at him for a moment. Had they just had a breakthrough?! Had he finally admitted it?! “The rape that didn’t happen?” continued Brody, “The rape that you and Tori seem a little bit obsessed with, frankly? I mean, what is that anyway?” “The hospital said you had…” replied Justin, pausing to find the right words. He wasn’t comfortable with this stuff at all. Right now, he needed Tori to come in and put it in ‘doctor speak’. Where was she when he needed her?! “You know me and Kris… we did some things…” said Brody. “It was more than that” said Justin, as a redness crept up his neck. Brody sat waiting. He wondered at the flush in Justin’s face. He could actually hear his heart kicking up a gear and the blood rushing to the capillaries in his face. Why was he so embarrassed? “They said…” he continued. “Justin, will you just spit it out?!” sighed Brody. “They said there were obvious signs of sexual assault.” he said, doing his best to look him in the eye, “They said there was… some bleeding…” Brody rolled his eyes and looked away. Things had gotten a bit rougher with Kris than he would have liked, so he wasn’t all that surprised by that. “So…” Justin began to say. “So… that’s none of your business!” snapped Brody. “I just want you to talk to me!” pleaded Justin. “And yet…” sighed Brody, “When I do, you don’t want to listen!” “I’m listening, mate… but you need to start making some sense!” Brody gave a little snort and turned to look at him. His big brown eyes looked so hurt and worry-filled. He hated to think how he would look at him when he came to realise that all this ‘vampire’ stuff was true. That he really was a blood-sucking creature of the night?! He didn’t want him to look at him with fear in his eyes, or horror, or disgust. He wanted to hold on to this moment for as long as possible. To have a brother for as long as he possibly could! “Maybe you don’t feel comfortable talking to me and Tori?” suggested Justin, “Maybe you’d be better seeing a counsellor… or maybe going to a group counselling session with other people…” “Other rape victims?” asked Brody, looking down at the ground. Maybe he’d have to play along for Justin and Tori’s sake? “Yeah, mate…” said Justin, with a little sigh of relief, “Other people, just like you who’ve been through it.” He stared at his feet. A terrible thought had flashed through his mind and he was a little ashamed of himself. How could he be thinking of his stomach at a time like this?! What kind of person heard ‘group counselling’ and thought ‘lots of tasty young people to eat!’ A vampire! That’s who! That’s who thought these things! He could just see them now with all their baggage! Young and vulnerable and easy to get to! “It might help?” suggested Justin, “You might find it easier to talk to…” “Okay… I’ll do it” he sighed, “I’ll go… if it makes you and Tori happy…” He could almost smell the blood now! “Oh, my god! Mate!” gasped Justin, “You have no idea how happy you’ve made me!” “Okay… but it has to be at night” he said. Justin looked at him and shook his head. He obviously hadn’t given up on this whole vampire thing but ‘one step at a time’, he thought to himself, ‘one step at a time!’ He gave him a little smile and came over to give him a little pat on the shoulder. “Okay, mate… I’ll set it up!” Thursday night… “I’m sorry” he whispered quietly, as he lay her head down gently on the wooden bench, “I wish I didn’t need this… I wish it didn’t have to be like this.” He knelt down beside the young blonde girl, and listened to her slow and even breathing. She was out cold but at least she was still alive! He hadn’t taken too much this time. This time he’d been careful. He’d listened carefully to her heart and known just the right moment to pull back. He was getting good at this… He was getting things under control! He grimaced a little as he looked at the little puncture wounds on her throat, and the paleness of her face under the moonlight. She looked small and fragile to him now. Like a child… It hit him then, a sudden pang of guilt! This was someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s friend… and he had stolen from her. Not her money, or her property, but something so much more precious! He gently stroked her hair behind her ear to see her face better. She was grubby from living rough and her hair was tangled and unkempt. He knew that she probably smelled a little too. She was thin and unhappy looking, but with a little more care and attention, he knew that she could be beautiful. She was beautiful now in an uncared for and tragic sort of way. He’d seen her soul when he’d taken her. All her hopes and dreams, all her joy and all her pain. He’d seen everything! She’d shown it all to him… all of it! He’d seen her past and her present and he knew why she was living this life. This life on the run… There’d been fights, and things had been said in the heat of the moment that shouldn’t have been. Her parents had been angry, and feeling powerless… and she had been a teenage girl trying to find her own way in the world, and railing against those who were trying to protect her. That same old story! She’d run away then and she’d been running ever since. Angry and frightened, and so full of resentment! But he knew that things didn’t have to be this way for her. There were people out there that cared about her, good people that she’d left behind. As he gazed at her now, he began to wonder if there was some way that he could help her? If he could repay her in some way? Maybe he could find her family? Maybe he could get her back to them? He looked around to make sure that there was no-one watching, before starting to go through her pockets. There in the pocket of her hoodie was a small tattered wallet and inside he found a photo ID card. “Hannah Walters” he muttered under his breath, “119 Vincent Drive…” Hannah hadn’t been the name that she’d given at the counselling session. She’d called herself Amy! “Mmmm” she murmured, as she moved a little on the bench, “I’m cold…” Of course, she was cold! He’d drained nearly half her blood! “Okay, Hannah” he said, as he made a mental note of her full name and address and then slid the card back inside the wallet. “Let’s get you some help then” he said to her, as he stuffed the wallet back into the pocket of her hoodie and got to his feet. He gazed down at her for a moment, wondering what had passed through her mind in that terrifying moment that he’d taken her. Had she been just as frightened as he was? Had she looked at him and seen the same monster that he had seen when he’d looked at Morten? What did ‘vampire’ Brody even look like?! It wasn’t like he could look in a mirror, so he had no way of knowing! He bent down and picked a large stone up off the ground. He glanced around him again to make sure that he wasn’t being watched but gave a little laugh when he realised that he and the poor runaway girl were the only living souls still out and about. The beachfront was completely dead. It was about 3am on a Thursday night and everyone was in bed. There was a particularly expensive looking car parked nearby. “Bingo!” he said to himself, when he saw the flash of the little red alarm light inside. He needed an alarm loud enough to draw attention, and a car expensive enough for the owner to come running quickly. This one fit the bill perfectly. He threw the stone as hard as he could at the car’s front windshield and gave a little smirk when the glass shattered. He’d discovered that vandalism, without the threat of being caught, was quite the rush. He had no reflection and it seemed that he didn’t show up on camera either! Suddenly the alarm was sounding loudly, and lights were being turned on here, there, and everywhere. “Time to make myself scarce” he said to himself, as he quickly walked away. He half walked, half jogged, to a position a safe distance away and then turned to watch. A man in a pair of boxer shorts shuffled outside in a sleepy sort of way and pointed his key fob at the car to turn the alarm off. He didn’t look at all pleased when he saw the state of his front windshield. “****, **** ****!” he heard him roar, as he turned a full 360 degrees to see if he could spot the culprits. He failed to see the young woman lying sprawled on the bench only a few feet away! “C’mon?!” mumbled Brody, “Just look!” A moment later, the man was joined by his wife, who was hastily pulling on a silk dressing gown and looking flustered. He watched as the man held his arms out in an angry sort of way, gesticulating wildly at his wife, as though the damage to his car was somehow her fault. She began to shout back at him, and the two fell into what must have been a tried and tested routine of mutual blame involving a lot of expletives. Suddenly, another man appeared, and an argument began between him and the owner of the car, presumably over the noise level of the alarm and the fighting that had then followed it. They shouted and they roared, and they made rude hand gestures. ‘Just look!’ mumbled Brody, as he tried to plant the suggestion in the mind of the man’s wife, ‘Turn around and look at the bench!’ Suddenly, the woman let out a little gasp that was almost a scream and began to point at the body of the young runaway lying on the bench. They all ran to her! She’d been found! He watched as the man in the boxer shorts ran back inside the beach chalet and reappeared a moment later with his mobile phone pressed to his ear. He distinctly heard the word ‘ambulance’. “Bye Hannah” he said under his breath, as he turned and walked away. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction that he couldn’t quite explain. In some ways, he felt guilty for having drunk her blood, but he knew deep down that he had very little control over that. Drinking blood was what vampires did, wasn’t it?! He couldn’t help what he was now, and it wasn’t like it had been his choice! He couldn’t control his need for blood. What he could control was how he went about things. He wasn’t going to be a killer! He was going to look after his victims! He was going to do his best to retain some sense of his humanity! He wasn’t going to be a monster! But above all, he wasn’t going to be Morten! ‘Time to go home’ he thought to himself, as he began to head towards his house. As though appearing on cue, he heard that all too familiar Norwegian voice in his head, and he saw a flash of white as a blonde man suddenly blocked his path. “I told you that you had one week” he growled at him, as he stood in his way, “Tick tock, Brody! I warned you what would happen if you disobeyed me… Time is almost up!”

Is that a euphemism?!!!! Hahaha!

I thought this might put an interesting twist on things. Brody was arguing not only with himself but with the intrusive thoughts being planted in his head by Morten. No wonder he was confused! Oh god, a life without garlic anything would be a sad thing indeed but then I don't know what blood tastes like to a vampire. Maybe it would be an acceptable trade off? I love the idea of you down the shops and you just bump into a terribly lovesick vampire dithering over which box of chocolates or which bunch of flowers to buy his love interest I could definitely see that being in one of your stories! Haha! Yes, well I do like that beard of his, so that is a bonus I suppose Thanks for reading folks, all your feedback is much appreciated. Apologies for the delay on the next chapter. Just been very busy this week. Hope to have new chapter tonight or tomorrow x

Oh my goodness! That was an unexpected vision of the afterlife! Loved it! Nice that his siblings were able to make it back just in the nick of time (and Don Fisher). Gotta love Morag and Celia! Loved all the flashbacks to Geoff and Melody and how they got together - like I said before, those two were made for each other. Really glad Evie and Matt are going to make a go of things but I have to say I was surprised that Spencer was one of the ones orchestrating their reunion. I didn't think he'd really got his anger out of his system even after shouting at her, so hooking her up with Matt is a big step for him. Sweet that Josh was in on it too. That would be hard for him, even now, I think. Lots of really nice interactions here. Really well written as always!

Haha! Love Alf's little fashion show! Never thought of Alf having colours for different day to day moods! A red one for running some galah out of town?! And it seems Alf only owns two coats, both functional hi-vis jackets. Now I think of it, I don't know if I've ever seen him wear a 'civilian' coat, so you might be right! Brody talks to Raffy the Scarecrow because at least she won't laugh at him? Aww, poor Brody! He needs to find some friends! (Or maybe he has? Was Brody thinking that Ash was a dreamboat, or was that the author talking? haha!) And ewwwww! Leah peed on VJ's leg to remind him of their mother/son bond?! I'm sure there are other ways she could have got his attention! The menu at Salt seems to have undergone a very strange overhaul. Not sure I'd want to eat in a restaurant that served both frogs legs and toad in the hole! lol! Utterly crazy again, can't wait for the next chapter!

God, you can't even go to remotest Cambodia to escape the former residents of Summer Bay! lol! I don't remember Alf being that fond of Melody? (but that might just be my swiss cheese memory) Those two were pretty much made for each other so I'm glad you put them together in the end (Edit: Geoff and Melody, I mean... not Alf and Melody! ). Loved the little scene with Alf and Roo. Very sweet father daughter moment there (with a good measure of Alf no-nonsence' Stewartism thrown in!) Josh embarrassing Jimmy, like any good dad would do, was very cute too. The first time that Jimmy has had someone to do that, so a milestone for both of them. Sweet that he's enjoying being a dad, even if he does feel like he's just muddling through. And finally, you have done the impossible! Made me like Ash! Even if it's only for one fleeting moment. I liked that scene. Just wondering how many other old and familiar faces are still on their way?

Oh dear god! The image of Irene in fishnet tights and leather knee-high boots?!!! Thanks for that, Pembie! Not sure how I'll get that out of my head. And Leah's been turned into a cat?! Well, that kind of fits and Alf seems quite excited at the prospect of playing with Irene's pussy (drum roll! An oldie but a goodie! Haha!) Loved the reference to Hunter's little head tilt too, (was that for me? ) Just bonkers!

Lots of nice chats in here, filling in a lot of information Liked the Ruby and Nicole scene at the start. (I can only agree with Nicole, It is weird to suddenly discover you're meant to be an adult). Nicole and Aden's chat was good too, nice that they got to clear the air and actually talk about how things ended between them. Loved the scene at the end too, with Alf's reaction to Mink! ...but oh noooooo! Alf???!!!!

I'm gonna say it again.. I have no idea, literally no idea, how you got through a glass and a half of the most evil drink on the planet, sipping it like sherry! You're made of tough stuff, Pembie! You really are!

Oooohhh... spooky! So Irene's a witch who's been hiding in plain sight? (well that makes sense!) But now she's had some of Brody's special pumpkin juice she's off her tits and one step closer to rejoining her coven? Haha! Love it! Also loved Leah's concerns over Matt and Chris being in the market for a baby. I'm a bit concerned too.... They'd better keep an eye on baby Luc in case they get any ideas... and oh dear, just when Alf thought his luck was in! Also - thrown back like you would a tequila?! I thought it was a sipping drink? haha!