FicWad

"You can stay here," said Ray, opening a door at the top of the stairs. Alicia walked inside, glancing around the room. It was small, but not much more so than her previous one. All she cared about was the window on the far wall, and immediately ran over to it. Silver light poured in, not unlike the moonlight she had come to love so much. She stared up at the clouds, glad to be sheltered from the rain.

Her stomach growled suddenly, and she clutched at it with one hand. Ray heard it as if she had been standing right next to him, and he went pale. 'I forgot. Humans need to eat.'

"You're hungry," he said plainly, staring at her like she was from another planet. She nodded once.

"I haven't eaten in at least a day."

"What do you usually eat?" Bob asked casually, making sure not to reveal what they were.

"Fruits and vegetables, mainly," Alicia replied. Bob and Ray exchanged a glance, both silently wondering what to do. They had hunted recently and didn't want to eat her just yet. They would have to keep her alive for a few days at the very least.

Ray's face suddenly brightened as he got an idea, and he hurried down the stairs. Alicia shrugged and continued staring out the window. Bob walked over to her.

"What's this?" she asked, pointing to the droplets on the other side of the cold glass.

"What's...what?" he asked, frowning. She tried to open the window, but wasn't sure how to work the clasp. Bob opened it easily, their hands brushing for a moment. Alicia felt herself blush at the contact, but tried to ignore it as she reached out to catch a few drops of water. She retracted her hand, shuddering from the cold. Bob could hear her heartbeat quicken.

'Not yet,' he thought. 'You can't kill her yet. You need to wait for Ray.'

"This," she said, staring into the small pool of clear water in her palm.

"The rain?" asked Bob.

"'Rain'," Alicia repeated to herself, smiling. "I think I like the moon better...but the 'rain' is nice."

"If you don't mind my asking, how do you not know what the rain is?" Bob asked as kindly as he could.

"I've only been outside for a few days," she replied. "Everything is so new to me here..." She shivered violently from the cold. Her thoughts again trailed back to Mikey, and her eyes began to well up with tears. Before she knew it, she was sobbing uncontrollably once again.
Bob watched her without knowing what to do. She no longer seemed like prey to him, but a weak creature needing protection from monsters, much like a small child. She had feelings and emotions; she was not one of the mindless animals they usually feasted upon.

'She is a human.'

He tentatively wrapped an arm around her shoulders, calmly waiting until her deep sobs began to slow down. A full minute passed before she could breathe normally again.

"I thought he loved me," she said sadly, "but all he wants to do is drink my blood. I just know it."

"Vampires are incapable of love," he replied. "They are skilled liars, though." A sharp gust of wind blew hundreds of raindrops into the room, causing Alicia to tremble from the cold. Bob pulled her into a comforting hug, and she was thankful for it.

"I'll keep you safe from them," he promised. She suddenly pulled away from him. His words were too similar to Mikey's, and she couldn't handle being hurt again so soon. The rain had thoroughly saturated her hair now, plastering the dark strands to her head.

"How do I know you mean it?" she asked softly, watching the silver light reflect in his eyes as he thought of a response. She contemplated closing the window; the frigid water had thoroughly soaked through her by now, and she was growing colder by the second.

He kissed her. And suddenly the rain didn't seem to matter anymore.
-
Mikey could see the house not far away. He lithely leapt from the ground and ran up the nearest tree, not unlike a cat. It was easy to hide in the leafy branches, and the rain would help mask his scent if any wolves came by. He had found Alicia's scent again, but it was very faint and fading quickly. He hoped he wasn't too late.

He heard footsteps on the ground below him and froze, looking down to see what it was.
Ray winced at the squelching sound as he stepped on the remains of a half-decomposed apple, one of many littering the ground nearby. He approached the tree and looked up into it, trying to see if any fruit was still growing on it. He knew they had to keep her alive for a few more days at the very least. He saw one of the round fruits hanging from a higher branch, but knew there was no way he could reach it. He frowned.

"There has to be some way to get it," he murmured under his breath.

Mikey remained completely still and silent. Ray was staring directly at him, and his face had twisted into a frown. 'Does he see me?' he thought for one horrifying second. If Bob was nearby as well, he wouldn't stand a chance. He could barely defend himself against one wolf, let alone two. It was a death sentence.

He heard Ray speak quietly, and had never been more thankful that werewolves couldn't climb trees. But he was still worried that he had been spotted. His eyes darted around wildly, as they often did when he was hunting and had nothing to focus on. They suddenly froze on a polished, red apple hanging near his left hand.

'Is that what he's looking for?' he wondered. Maybe he hadn't been seen after all. 'Maybe I should help him out.' He moved his right hand to his mouth, allowing some of the venom to run across his fingers. He quickly reached his hand toward the apple and watched as the black drops fell on the branch, dissolving the stem and letting the fruit fall to the ground. He watched as Ray picked it up and studied it, then returned to the house at a leisurely walk.

"That was close," he sighed breathlessly, just barely loud enough for himself to hear. To the rest of the world it was nothing more than a faint breath of air. He returned his gaze to the house once again. His eyes changed focus, almost like a camera lens. He could see a window on the second floor of the house. The room beyond it was dark.

Something was blocking the darkness, and he squinted to better see what it was.

He almost fell out of the tree. It was Alicia. Still alive.

Someone approached her from behind, and his anger began to flare. It was Bob. If he hurt her, there would be nothing to stop Mikey from killing both him and Ray. He listened as Alicia asked about the rain, and Bob explained it to her. Not long after she began to cry, and Mikey nearly did the same. It was entirely his fault, and he knew it. He had hurt her deeply, but he promised himself would make it up to her. If he managed to save her from them, that is. He had no idea how much time she had left.

"How do I know you mean it?" Alicia asked in a very soft voice, nearly drowned out by the rain. Mikey watched as Bob waited for several seconds, then leaned down and kissed her.

This time he really did fall out of the tree.