CURSED 1

BE HERE

At some point, I either passed out or fell asleep.

I opened my eyes and, as my eyes adjusted, I could finally see. I was alone in

the room. I pulled out my cell from my pocket. The lighted display read 2:12

a.m. Four hours of my life had just vanished. I got up, and my legs felt wobbly.

It was not a Party lite candle party. It had been a party of the other type.

What the hell had been in that drink?

I slowly got dressed and weeble-wobbled to the bedroom door and then made

my way to the living room. There were still a lot of couples making out. Smoke

from the many candles hung suspended in the air. The whole scene was surreal.

and bizarre, and now I am a part of it. I needed fresh air. With my legs feeling a

A little stronger, I headed out the front door.

I stood on the brick steps and took in a lot of fresh air, which did wonders to

clear my head. And that’s when I heard the sounds of crying. Off to the right, in

a small patch of grass near the side of the house, was a swing hanging from the

thick branch of a tree. Lena was sitting alone and crying softly, the sounds of her

muffled sobs reached me in the quiet night air. I walked over to her.

“Hey,” I said.

Lena looked up at me. “Hi, Josiah.” She wiped her eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem as if it’s nothing,” I said. “What’s going on? Where’s

Atticai?”

“Atticai left with a couple of his friends.”

I looked over and noticed the van was still in the driveway.

“The van is still here. Is he coming back?”

“I don’t know. He doesn’t like to tell me what he does.”

I paused. “That’s a pretty weird party going on in there.” I didn’t mention the

foursome I had, although thanks to the power of that witchy potion I had drunk, I

was beginning to remember less and less of it. Which was a damn shame.

“You have no idea,” she said. “Did you go upstairs?”

“For a moment, but Yari found me and said I shouldn’t be up there.”

“Be glad that she did, they might not have known.”

“Not know what?” I asked.

Lena looked at me. “You have no idea what they were doing up there?”

“I’m not stupid,” I said. “I assume they were doing drugs.”

“Drugs? You think that’s what this party is about? A drug free for all? Are

Are you honestly that clueless?”

“What are you saying?”

“Open your eyes, Josiah!”

“This all comes back to what your freaky friends did at the frat party, sucking

on everyone’s neck and wrists. Do these people truly think they are vampires?”

Lena gave me a withering look that seemed to imply I was the world’s

biggest i***t. Maybe I was. “Josiah, they were feeding up there!”

“Feeding? Like eating?”

She shook her head violently, and she kept shaking her head.

“Feeding on what, Lena?” My voice grew higher, perhaps with panic.

“What were they feeding on? People?”

“No, not people’s flesh, but people’s...”

“Blood? Is that even sanitary?”

“It is when you’re a vampire.” Lena stared at me with utter amazement. But I

had better critical thinking skills than to believe that because people drank blood,

It obviously led to actually becoming a vampire. People do stupid things for all

For All sorts of reasons, even drinking blood. To me, there was nothing magical about

blood drinking. It was almost some kind of s****l fetish.

I shook my head at her. No, this could not be! I would believe in vampires on

the same day as I believed in fairies. Which would never be. One thing that I

did believe in mental illness and drug addiction; I thought this party was a

sure sign of both.

I said, “Vampires? You have got to be kidding me.”

She wouldn’t look at me. “I don’t know why Yari brought you here. But now

When you’re here, you need to start opening your eyes. This isn’t a Halloween

party. These people—or things—are truly real.”

“The only thing that is real about them is that they are delusional. If they are

truly drinking people’s blood against someone’s will, then they are also

committing a serious crime.”

“It’s not a crime if no one is alive to press charges.”

“Are you saying they’re killing people upstairs? You’re telling me vampires

—real vampires—are running wild in the city of Victorville?”

Lena just stared at me. Above, I heard more birds flapping. The beating rush

of their wings were powerfully loud in the silent night. I felt as if I was being

watched, but I didn’t know by whom. Mostly, I hear the dull thumping of my

heart in my ears and my own harsh breathing.

This was crazy talk, of course. I mean, c’mon. How could anyone believe in

Something so crazy? Worse yet, if she was telling the truth—at least about the

killings—then I was stranded here with a bunch of psychos.

“Lena,” I said, trying again, “just because some people have a fetish for” —

and I couldn’t believe I was about to say this— “drinking blood, that doesn’t

make someone something they’re not.”

“You think all those people in there just have a fetish?”

My mind was spinning. I was still feeling the effects of whatever it was in

Yari’s flask. “Of course. What else could it be?”

“We shouldn’t be talking about this.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not safe for either one of us.” Lena looked away, pausing.

“Josiah, I have seen things.”

“What? The biting? Please! Just because someone can puncture flesh with

down teeth doesn’t make them a vampire.”

“Do you seriously think all those people in there are playing games?”

“Of course they’re playing games. And someday they’re all going to have to

grow up and get real jobs and let the fantasy go.”

Lena seemed pretty upset. I thought she was going to storm off, and maybe

That would have been for the best. I felt sorry for anyone who believed this crap,

and Lena obviously did. She seemed like a reasonable person. Everything

pointed to her not being delusional, but then again, I hadn’t spent a lot of time.

with her, too.

“You really believe this, don’t you?” I said.

“It’s not a matter of believing. Believing is what a kid does in Santa Claus.

This isn’t faith. Faith and belief are what you do with the unknown. This is

extremely real.”

I knew I’d better drop it. She looked particularly vulnerable. I took her hand.

“Let’s go for a ride,” I said.

“But where’s Yari?” Lena asked, her round eyes meeting mine. A spark of

Jealousy flickered in her pupils.

“I have no idea. We don’t need to worry about Yari.”

“She’s pretty possessive.”

“Well, she is nowhere near being my girlfriend, so I wouldn’t worry about

her.” Any girl that drugs me and brings in two other women was certainly not

the possessive type, and certainly not girlfriend material.

Lena stared at me and then looked down at our hands. I could tell she wanted

to go with me, but something held her back. She pushed through it and finally

said, ”Okay, I would like that. Let’s get out of here for a bit.”

“Cool.”

Lena and I walked over to my truck. I opened the door for her, and she

jumped into the passenger side. Lena smelled incredible, and she looked

fantastic in her usual black attire.

I got into my side and keyed the ignition and reversed out of the house of

horror’s driveway. I found my way back to the same road that I used to get here,

and I just drove.

Just to lighten the mood, I said, “Even though it’s dark, I feel at peace out

here.”

“Well, you are in excellent company. Everyone around these parts likes the

dark; it’s what they’re all about.”

“Still on the vampire kick, eh?” But before she could answer, we could

Getting into another argument about the undead, I quickly added: “So, what are you?

about, Lena?”

“I like the dark. It makes me think of death.”

“You make it sound as if that’s a good thing.”

“Death, for some, is a good thing.”

I shuddered a little. Geez, dark girl. I said, “I have too much living to do to

think much about death.”

We lapsed into silence after that rather lively exchange. If she continues to

talk like that, then I was better off sitting in silence. Who likes to talk about

death?

A few minutes later, I asked Lena, “So do you still live with your parents?”

“Unfortunately, I do. I have been hoping that Atticai and I could get a place.”

“Are you two pretty serious?”

“Yes and no.”

“What does that mean?”

“Emotionally, we are pretty serious. The physical aspect of us is a whole

other story.”

“Physically? I’m confused.” I pulled the truck into a field and parked.

“Explain yourself, young lady.”

“Young lady?” She laughed a little. “Okay, well, Atticai and I have never....”

Her voice trailed off.

“Never what?” I asked eagerly.

“Never... had sex.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.”

“Not one time?”

“We haven’t even been to second base.” Lena looked at me with almost of

sense of irony.

“Whoa,” I was shocked. By the way, if these two acted together, I would have

thought there wasn’t a place in San Bernardino they hadn’t done it.

She said, “It’s pretty crazy, isn’t it?”

“It’s insane.” I couldn’t hide my surprise. Lena was extremely hot, and any

Guy would jump at the chance. “Is it you? Or is it?” I asked.

“It’s all him. I mean...yes, I’m a virgin, but I was ready to have s*x with him.

a year ago.”

“So, what’s the hold up?”

“He keeps telling me that he wants to preserve my innocence.”

“What a crock of shit.”

“Atticai cares about me, Josiah. He told me that things would change in a

couple of weeks when it’s my birthday. I guess it freaks him out that I’m still in

my teens.”

“How old is he?”

“He’s old. His physical body is about twenty-eight.”

“His physical body?” I sputtered. What the hell did that mean?

Lena gave me a knowing look, one that seemed to imply I should already

know the answer.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, yeah, I forgot. He’s Dracula.” How could someone

who seems to be so honest with herself Who is so clueless?

“I guess it’s a good thing you still don’t believe them. It’s probably the thing that’s

Save your life.”

“Saving my life? What are you talking about?”

“Never mind. Anyway, so what about you? Do you still live with your

parents?”

I was still wrapping my brain around the ‘It’s probably the only thing saving

your life’ comment she made. I made a mental effort to switch gears and answer

her question. “No, I don’t,” I said distractedly. “I live with my best friend.”

“Do your parents still live in San Bernardino?”

I was quiet.

“Did you hear me?” Lena asked.

“Yeah, I heard you,” I said.

“Well, where do your parents live?”

I got out of my truck and walked over to the front of my hood. Lena got out

and stood next to me.

“The moon’s pretty bright tonight,” I said. “Even though it’s only a half

moon.”

But she wasn’t looking at the moon. She was staring at me. “I’m sorry if

Talking about your parents upsets you, Josiah. God only knows that I have a

crappy relationship with mine.”

We were silent. I kept looking up at the moon. She kept looking at me.

Finally, I said, “They passed away, back when I was in high school.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“They died in a car accident, along with my sister.”

“Josiah, I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t know, don’t worry about it.”

“No, I pressured you into telling me about it.”

“You didn’t pressure me.” I jumped up and sat on my hood. “I wanted to tell

you about it. Really.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, I don’t talk about it much, if ever. I just felt as if you were someone I

can...” I shrugged, “I can open up to you, I guess.”

“I am, Josiah. I want you to know that.”

I hesitated and then decided to tell her. “It was our senior year. I was on my

The way home from the gym, and I got a call from Tommy. Tommy had been dating

my sister. He got the call first, since his was the last number my sister had called.

on her cell. He told me that they had been in a terrible car accident on 91st

Freeway, and all three were at the hospital. I remember just dropping my phone.

and flooring it to the hospital. They were dead before I’d got there. All three of

them.”

Lena covered her face with her hands. “Oh my God, Josiah. I am so sorry. I

can’t believe I didn’t hear about this in high school.”

“You didn’t hear about it because I didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t tell a single

person in high school. To be honest, this is the first time I’ve ever talked about

it.”

“But surely you and Tommy talked about it.”

I shook my head.

“You haven’t talked to anybody about it?”

I shook my head again.

“Never?”

“Never.” I said. “Not one time.”

“Wow, that’s pretty heavy. Why me? Why now?”

“I just felt safe enough to tell you.”

Lena reached over and held my hand. She had tears in her eyes.

“It’s okay, Lena. I’m all right. It was a while ago.”

Lena let go of my hand. She then got up on the hood and sat next to me. She

rested her head on my shoulder, and we sat there in silence for a little while. I

appreciated the silence. I felt particularly comfortable around Lena. She had a

gentle way that was being masked by a tough female exterior.

I sat back on the hood and laid on my back. “The sky is spectacular. The stars

look phenomenal tonight.”

Lena leaned back and cuddled into me. It was nice. For the first time in my

life, I felt secure. I felt a release come over my body and tears drip from my

eyes. I didn’t make a sound. This moment was perfect. This woman was perfect.

She did these things and... she wasn’t mine. The thought of Yari—Yari naked—

swam into my mind.

God, had that actually happened tonight? What would that be called anyway?

a ménage à quatre?

I didn’t know, but I did feel weird lying there with Lena and soaking in her

tender touch when I had been with not just one, but three women. Just a few

hours earlier.

Anyway, we eventually got back to the party, and when I pulled in, Atticai,

Yari and the guys seemed to be waiting for us.

I opened the door and got out of my truck, expecting the worst. Lena got out

on the passenger side. Atticai walked right up to me, looming over me like Lurch.

from the Addams Family, only paler.

“Josiah, when did you get here?” Atticai asked.

“Huh?” I asked, surprised. “I saw you earlier.”

“You did?” Atticai walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder and

stared into me. Yes, into me. It appeared he was trying to look deep into my

soul. Then again, maybe he honestly could. Maybe vampires were telepathic. Or

Maybe I was just losing my mind. Anyway, he did this staring thing for a while,

looking at me intently with zero expression on his face. Eventually, he nodded

and smiled.

“We’re all good here,” Atticai said, to whom exactly, I’m not sure. “Hey,

Josiah, do you mind taking Lena home? We’ll take Yari back.”

“Um, sure, no problem,” I said.

Yari walked up to me and gave me a long, seductive hug. “You had quite a

night,” she said. “The girls and I had some fun with you and apparently you still

needed a little dessert.” Yari glanced over at Lena, perhaps implying something.

had happened between us.

“Nothing happened, Yari,” Lena responded. “We just went for a drive. We

weren’t going to wait around for you guys to finish whatever it was that you

were doing.”

“Oh, you know what we were doing, Lena.” Yari smiled rather sadistically at

Lena. Yari then turned to me and planted a long, passionate kiss on my mouth. I

was stunned. I didn’t resist, and decided to go with it.

“And there it is! Territory marked!” Wyatt said, laughing.

Atticai smiled at me and simply said, “Be careful, Josiah.”

Atticai then kissed Lena lightly on top of her head, and I had to admit that I

now looked at their whole relationship differently, now that I knew they hadn’t

We slept together. There was, in fact, something majorly asexual about them.

I said goodbye to the rest of the pale-faced gang and Lena and I got back into

my truck and got out of there. She was asleep by the time we hit the freeway. I

looked over at her quite a few times and just stared at her face. She seemed so

peaceful, so innocent. She certainly didn’t belong in that world.

And what was that world? I didn’t know. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

An hour later, I dropped her off. I got out of the truck and walked her to her

front door. “I enjoyed talking to you,” I said.

“Even if I am just dessert?”

“You’re more than dessert. You’re an eight-course meal.”

She laughed. “Oh, really?”

I hugged Lena tightly. After a few seconds, I loosened up to let her go, but

Lena held me even tighter. So, I continued holding her. We stood out there and

Hugged for another five minutes. It wasn’t a s****l hug. As a matter of fact, it

was the opposite. It was just two people who had found each other. Two people

from completely different backgrounds who discovered they have a true

connection. Finally, we released. As we did so, I kissed her forehead.

“Thank you, Josiah. Thank you for everything.”

Lena went inside her house, and I stood there and stared at the front door.

What a night. I had s*x with three women and fell in love with a fourth.

TO BE CONTINUED..