FicWad

Chapter One: Romance

Gerard was walking down the dilapidated Newark street, cigarette in mouth, Starbucks coffee in hand. It was September thirteenth, 2001. New Jersey was having a solemn summer night. The only people on the street were the drug addicts trying to make a quick buck and prostitutes attempting to escape a troubling past. American flags were hung on apartment doors as far as the eye could see. The recent September eleventh attacks were still fresh on everyone’s mind. Well, everyone except Gerard. He had other things on his mind. Things like his younger brother, Mikey. It had been three days since his disappearance. No one had seen him since his birthday on September tenth. “Mike, where could you be?” Gerard muttered to himself. He leaned against a wall and took a drag from his cigarette. He thought back three days ago to the night of his younger brother’s twenty first birthday.

“Happy birthday, Mikey!” Everyone cheered at the bar. They were celebrating the young man’s birthday at a small Irish pub in Philadelphia. It was Mikey’s first night of legal drinking. He had gotten wasted before, but now he didn’t have to worry about cops.

“Thanks guys” The boy answered smiling. Mikey was a good looking young man with glasses and a baby face. All of his friends were invited, including that one intern at the record company he had his eye on. Mia was her name. She had medium length brown hair with brown eyes. After being congratulated for the twelfth time he walked over to her. Gerard hardly saw him the rest of the night.

“Where’s Mikey?” One of the brothers’ friends, Frank, asked. Gerard smiled and pointed to his younger brother dancing with the intern girl. “Aw, shit!” Frank said laughing. “He’s getting the best birthday present of his life tonight”

“Shut up” Gerard chuckled, lightly tapping his friend on the head. The night was a bit of a blur after that. Gerard had been lost in a drunken haze when his brother warned him of something.

“I’m goin’ home with Mia” Mikey slurred.

At least that’s what Gerard thought he said.“Did you go home with her, Mikey?” Gerard asked himself quietly. “Are you still with her?” The man of twenty four hadn’t cried in a long time. He cried when he was six and his pet turtle died mysteriously. He cried when he was thirteen and his crush rejected him in front of the entire seventh grade. This time he was crying because the younger brother he was so close to was missing with out a trace. Gerard’s cell phone rang, jerking him from his moment of weakness. He sniffed and answered “Hello?”

“Gee, baby, when are you coming home?” Gerard’s girl friend, Natalie asked. He could hear the worry in her voice. He sighed and smiled knowing that she would make him feel better tonight. She always did.

“I’m on my way home right now, sweetie” He answered. He heard her heave a sigh of relief. He smiled to himself. He loved her. He loved her more than anything. At least he was sure he did. She was everything he was looking for in a girl. The sweet little blonde haired, blue eyed cutie that went to high school with him was all that he needed in his life. He was sure of it.

“Gerard? Are you listening?” Her voice rang into his ear again. He hadn’t been paying attention. He was never paying attention. Natalie knew him too well. She sighed again. “There’s no word on Mike yet” She updated. “Ray and Frank passed out all the flyers, and I asked around, but no one’s seen him” Gerard let out a groan as he let out another puff of his cigarette. “Don’t worry, babe” Natalie reassured the broken man. “He’ll turn up. I promise” Gerard smiled at his girl friend’s words. Mikey would turn up and everything would be ok.

“I’ll be home in another twenty minutes, babe” Gerard said to his woman before hanging up the phone.

“Ok” Natalie replied. There was an awkward silence on he phone as both people felt a chill up their spine. “I love you, Gerard” Natalie said silently. She sounded as if she knew something was about to happen.

“I love you too, Natalie” Gerard said in the same way. There was a click and the line went dead. It would be the last time Gerard would ever talk to Natalie.

It was a bit chilly for September. Gerard zipped up the black hoodie he was wearing to protect him from the cold. He was walking past an alley way when he heard the music. The strum of a guitar’s bittersweet love song filled the air. The music was soft, alluring. Gerard knew he probably shouldn’t have gone into the alley but he did any way.

“Hello?” He called out into the dark. “Is anyone there?” The music was growing louder with each step. Over the guitar he could hear singing. It was a girl’s voice. Her song was soft and sweet. It was bitter and beautiful. Gerard could hear the woman but he just couldn’t see her. “Hello?” He called again. The last chords of the song finished and the voice disappeared. Gerard took his favorite Zippo from out of his pocket and flipped it open. The flame gave the dark alley way an eerie glow. Gerard turned around to see a young girl holding a guitar staring straight at him. “Hello?” He asked again. His voice was shaky. He had never seen a girl like her. She was ghostly pale with long, black hair and ruby red eyes. She was short with voluptuous curves. Her red and black cocktail dress fit perfectly against the shape of her body. Gerard was captivated by this girl. She was by far the most mesmerizing creature he had ever seen. Her pale skin glowed in the light provided by the flame. Her red eyes burned in the dim illumination.

“Hello” The girl answered. “My name is Helena. Can you help me?” Gerard gulped. Her voice resembled a bell chime. Clear and high and utterly beautiful. Gerard couldn’t find words to speak. He merely nodded at the girl’s request. “I’m looking for something. I think you have it”

“What are you looking for?” Gerard asked in a near whisper. He was hardly aware of how dry his mouth was.

“I was looking for some romance” Helena smiled showing a pair of glowing, white fangs.