He was freezing. The light rain that had begun to fall made it even worse but he thought it was still better than staying at home. His stomach was hurting but he kept going on nevertheless. He just wanted to get away, away from the thoughts of his father punishing him again, yelling, and throwing him into the glass table. He had tried to clean the cuts and bandage himself up but he knew he had done a bad job. He could feel how the bandage felt wet again and the pain grew more and more each step he took. He felt as if he had no place in this world and so he walked along the streets at night hoping that someday he would have someone to care about him instead of looking down on him. He pulled down his cap deeper and put the hood of his shirt over it to at least save his face from the cold rain that kept increasing. He had to stay out long enough that his father would be asleep when he returned. He could still hear his father’s screams and harsh words in his ears and he knew that even if he would be in his bed now there was no way he would fall asleep. He would love to just leave his home and live somewhere else but he was still a minor with nowhere to go. He was always on his own and had a hard time socializing with anyone. He made the night his home. All cats are grey by night, nobody noticed the boy walking alone crying silently being alone in his misery. At night he didn’t need to hide the loneliness and sadness in his face with a fake smile and could be like he really felt. He often wished he was someone else, someone stronger who could stand up for himself, but there was no way he would change from one day to another and so he just tried to bear life as it was and walked the cold empty streets alone not caring where he went. Loud sounds of car engines and screeching tires suddenly disrupted the night. Maybe it was out of curiosity maybe it was out of boredom that he turned into the street where the noises came from. He saw a dark SUV passing with a speed that was way off limits past him. As he went further he saw two cars crashed into another. Without really thinking about what he was doing he fetched his phone and called the emergency. He saw two persons climbing out of the other SUV and disappearing into the darkness. Slowly he went nearer to the accident scene to see if he could help in any way even if he had no idea how. He just wanted to help in any way possible.

+++

Daehyun’s shoulder blade hurt like hell. He could barely move his arm but he bit his teeth and tried to ignore the pain knowing it would heal anyway. He asked Youngjae if he was ok. He seemed not to be hurt because the impact had mostly been on the driver’s side. He remembered that Himchan was seated behind him and he turned around. His mind went blank for a moment as he saw Himchan lying unconsciously with a bloody face on the backseat. Daehyun screamed his name again and again but he got no answer. He tried to open the door but it was jammed.

“I have to go out on your side,” he said to Youngjae who opened his door. Daehyun climbed over and got out of the car. They opened the backseat door and Youngjae leaned over Himchan.

“He seemed to have hit his head heavily on the window. God, he hasn’t even a seatbelt on.  What now?”
“We have to get him out of the car, but be careful, maybe he has broken something.” Together they tried to get him out and lay him down on the pavement as carefully as possible. Daehyun then took of his jacked and put it under Himchan’s head as a pillow.

“Blood, he needs blood,” Youngjae said but Daehyun’s thoughts were distracted as he heard noises of an engine. One of the SUV’s drove away in fast speed. He at least tried to look for a license plate but saw, that they had taken it of beforehand. The other SUV that had crashed into them was empty, he could only smell a slight scent of two humans that was fading away.

“Daehyun, are you listening, where did you put the blood?” Youngjae was screaming at him.

“It’s in the glove box. Stay with Himchan I get it,” he said while running to the damaged car whose engine was still fuming. He opened the glove box but the inside was full of red liquid and broken glass. He cursed and ruffled his hair before he undressed his shirt leaving him topless, lucky for him vampires seldom froze, and tried to soak the blood with his shirt. He went back and held his shirt over Himchan’s mouth and ignored Youngjae’s confused stare.

“Try to open his mouth,” he told him and so he did. Daehyun than went over to wring out his shirt the best he could getting at least some of the blood into Himchan. The both waited for the younger to open his eyes but he remained unconscious. 

“What now?” he asked Youngjae.

“We either get him to the research facility or try to find more human blood.”

“I can smell someone and he is coming closer.” Daehyun smelled a human coming closer. The smell of blood was intense, he must have some open wound and his blood smelled young and strong.

“Go get him, it is saver to move Himchan if he has more blood inside him.”

Daehyun saw a tall person wearing a black hoody. As soon as he found him he ran over to him in beyond human speed and punched him in the face, knocking him out immediately. He wished his target would have been a bit smaller because even if Daehyun possessed immense strength this guy was really hard to move over to Himchan. His hurt shoulder was not helping him either. As he got closer he heard sirens of an ambulance getting closer.

“Do you hear that?” Youngjae asked as he came to help him.

“Yes, an ambulance is finally coming.”

“Finally? What do you think we should tell them, that they should drive a hurt vampire to a hospital?”

“Of course not, we kidnap the ambulance and get Himchan safely to the facility or do you think we can still drive that,” he said as he pointed to the wrecked car.

“Okay, what other option do we have left,” Youngjae said sounding not entirely convinced of Daehyun’s idea.

“Let’s just leave the guy here and knock the paramedics out first,” Youngjae said and they placed the guy down next to Himchan and went to the ambulance that rushed towards them. As the paramedics opened the doors they were punched and dragged over to the pavement. Daehyun opened the back of the ambulance and Youngjae rolled out the stretcher but suddenly stopped in his movements.

Daehyun knew why in an instant. The smell of human blood increased within each second. Youngjae and Daehyun ran over to Himchan as fast as they could but what they saw and smelled already told them that it was too late. Himchan was leaning over the boy, fangs in his neck his face bloody and merciless. He was hurt, got conscious and his instincts took over, smelling the blood of the human and wanting it without any self-control left. Daehyun had never imagined that everything could go so wrong in a blink of a moment but things only got worse as Youngjae tried to hold back the growling vampire that craved for more blood, leaving him to view a pale and lifeless young boy with messy bleached hair.

“It’s a child,” Youngjae said his voice sounding as shocked as Daehyun felt.

“Why did you bring over a child?”

“How should I know it’s a child? How can a child be this tall?” Daehyun had not seen his face and would never have guessed that the person the saw would still be a minor.

“What have I done?” Daehyun looked at Himchan, who was still in a semi-conscious state and craved for more blood. Youngjae held him tightly and tried to get him to calm down. Himchan’s eyes were glowing and his fangs were prominent as he still wanted more of the boy’s blood.

“We can’t change what happened, more important is what we do know. Whoever chased us could come back. Let’s take Himchan and the boy to the ambulance and get going.”

These were times when Daehyun was thankful that Youngjae was by his side. He was a hyper and active guy but in difficult situations, he could be calm and collective. He saw that Youngjae was already taking Himchan who seemed to slip more and more out of conciseness, so he lifted the tall boy up and carried him to the ambulance. While walking he noticed that he was still breathing and his ears could sense a slow heartbeat, he would not stay alive for long but they had not totally lost him yet. Himchan was already placed on the stretcher that Youngjae now wheeled into the ambulance. Daehyun placed the boy where the paramedic where normally seated and tried his best that he was in a position where he would not hurt himself during the drive.

“I’m driving now, no discussion,” said Youngjae and ran to the front not even waiting for Daehyun to answer so he just closed the door and tried to tend the boys wound, knowing that he was not skilled enough to help Himchan in any way. As the motor and the sirens were again and Youngjae rushed through the dark empty streets he listened to the boy’s heartbeat constantly hoping it would not stop.

+++

Jong Up’s instincts told him that something was wrong, really wrong. And he knew it had to do something with Himchan. There was some kind if bond between a vampire and his e. It was weak and faded after some years. But Jong up had trained his instincts for this bond, trained it since the moment Himchan had turned him and saved his life. Himchan was more than just the one that turned him after he was bitten by some stranger. Himchan was his role model and his friend and he did not care that the older one ordered him around all the time and he now had to life a live as a vampire. Jong up thought life was fun. But not now, now something inside him told him his master was hurt. He looked at the watch and saw that they were indeed a bit late and he got nervous, which was strange because if Jong Up had some kind of specialty than it was to stay calm at any situation given which probably was the reason why he could cope up with Himchan’s constant nagging where so many others before him gave up. All of a sudden he could feel Himchan’s presence was near so he rushed to the exit. He saw a few other vampires rushing out too. Mr. Kang a slightly chubby man, wearing casual clothes and thick rimmed black glasses was one of them which was alarming because he was the leader of this research facility and normally seldom stepped out of his lab. He was a Haematologist and the one that examined Himchan’s blood as far as he knew. As he stepped outside he saw an ambulance parked in the middle of the street, blocking every other car. He heard everyone talking disorganized and the voices of Daehyun and Youngjae shouting orders.

“He needs blood, fast! Get out of the way!” Daehyun was screaming. Jong Up thoughts went blank for a moment as he saw Himchan lying on a stretcher mouth bloody and skin as pale as snow.

Youngjae rushed past him and told him: “You take care of the boy now.”

He then sensed that there was indeed a human scent coming out form the ambulance. His instants told him he should go and protect his master. He knew that Mr. Kang was now the person that could help Himchan the most but he still had the urge to stay at Himchan’s side. He had to fight against it, which was kind of hard. He walked slowly to the ambulance and took a look inside. He saw a boy, a little younger than he was when he was bitten and he was reminded of that time. He kneeled down and looked at the pale face, tried to listen to his breath and heartbeat and got quite a shock as he smelled Himchan’s scent on him. He could not imagine how it could have happened that Himchan bit anyone and especially not a boy as innocent looking as the one in front of him. His instincts of the bond were forgotten and he lifted the boy up, noticing he was rather tall but way to skinny and carried him inside. His heartbeat was way too slow and his skin felt cold. He ran to one of the rooms that had a bed and medical equipment in it. He was not sure if he was allowed to do this at all but he decided that he did not care. He thought about calling someone for help for a moment, but he chose not to, because the boy in front of him was human and this building was made to research on vampires and most of the skilled personal would be with Himchan anyway. He saw that his wound on the neck had already been treated but he still smelled blood leaking. He could not deny that it smelled good and he craved to drink it but even if he was still a young vampire Jong Up was skilled enough to suppress this urge. He carefully lifted the hoody up and saw some bloody bandages and bruised skin radiating in every possible color. Jong Up still could not make up a story of what possibly could have happened to leave Himchan and this boy in such a state. He took the hoody and a totally blood drained T-Shirt as well as the old bandages of and treated the wound properly but he knew that it was the lack of blood that would kill this boy. He would need some human blood and he was sure they had some in this facility but then he remembered that humans needed blood of the same

Blood type and how should he know that. There were some vampires that could smell the differences but they were older and more skilled. Jong Up was lost for a moment. He was good at taking orders and doing what he was told and this situation was a bit too much for him to handle alone. The skin of the boy got paler by each second and his heartbeat slower and Jong Up knew that time was running out. He had to make a decision now. He had to make it fast and he had to make it by himself and the moment he decided that this boy had to life, he rushed in the direction where he sensed Himchan’s presence. He ran through the corridor ignoring everyone he bumped into and got there in an instant. He saw Daehyun in front of closed doors ruffling through his hair and going back and forth mumbling something.

“I need Himchan’s blood!” Jong Up screamed. He was shocked of his one loud voice echoing through the corridor.

“Jong Up, how is the boy?”

“Let me through, I need his blood,” Jong Up just said without answering his question.

“You can’t turn him, he is still a minor and it’s forbidden to turn minors,” Daehyun answered and blocked his way. Jong Up knew Daehyun was stronger and better trained than him, fighting made no sense so he had to convince him.

“Killing humans is forbidden, too. Are you going to tell Himchan that he has killed a boy when he wakes up?” Jong Up could see facial expression changing as he thought about it.

“But if we turn the boy everybody will know, the council will know,” Daehyun mumbled.

“He has to live, you can’t just leave him to die!” Again Jong Up was taken aback by the aggressiveness in his voice but he was afraid that time was running short.

He saw that Daehyun wanted to answer something as the doors opened and Youngjae came out with a tube filled with blood.

“Himchan is okay, don’t worry, he has some major bruises and hurt his head but he will heal, even if it will take some time. Go, save the boy now.” Youngjae apparently heard the conversation like most vampires in the building due to their intensified senses and was on Jong Up’s side. Without any further word he took the blood. Youngjae put a hand on his shoulder.

“Make sure he doesn’t die while turning,” Youngjae said and went back inside. Jong Up had no idea how he should do this but he made his way to the boy nevertheless. He went inside, moved the head of the boy down and opened his mouth. Then he drenched the blood into his mouth drop by drop hoping he did the right thing. As all the blood was drenched he sat down next to him petted the boys slender arm and waited, waited for him to open his eyes.

+++

He couldn’t move nor could he open his eyes. It was like having high fever but ten times worse. He couldn’t get his thoughts straight. Various things flashed through his mind but none of it he could really gasp beside the thought that it might be that this was how dying felt like. It was like being trapped inside a dark room neither knowing were up and down nor left or right was.  All he could hear was the beating of his heart that got slower and slower until the gaps between each beat were so long he thought it stopped all together and he knew that it wouldn’t be long until his heart discontinued to work and he was afraid, afraid what would happen afterwards, afraid what came after the darkness. Then came nothing, total nothingness surrounded him. He saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing. No oxygen reached his lungs, no heartbeat could be heard and he felt as if he had lost a battle without knowing any enemy. The only thought he had now was that it was all over and he regretted it.

Than all of a sudden everything changed. He felt blood rushing through his veins. He felt hot and cold at the same time. It hurt as if he could feel ever single nerve in his body pulsating. He was shivering and his muscles hurt. He wanted the pain to stop and at the same time he felt so unbelievably alive, he could feel a power in his body he had never felt before, a sensation that made him feel strong. It was nerve-racking and hurtful but somehow electrifying. He could all of a sudden hear sounds. He could hear footsteps tapping on a stone floor, he heard wind brushing through leaves and he heard people talking. It all sounded clear but at the same time really far away. And with the sound came the smell, he could smell things all kind of things but way too mixed together as to say what he smelled. And he could feel that the was lying somewhere comfortable and warm and he had the feeling it was time to wake up again even if he was not sure if he had been sleeping at all.

As he opened his eyes he felt a presence coming closer. A boy looking around his age with brown hair and strange golden glowing eyes leaned over him as he felt a hand on his arm.

“You’re awake now. That’s good. Don’t be too scared please. I will take care of you now.” He had no idea where he was, or who that boy was but he knew that he never in his life felt as save before.

Author’s note: I’m really, really sorry I haven’t updated the story for a really long time. I just did not have enough time to write and I did not want to write something of worse quality. I won’t abandon the story, but I can’t update often but I’ll try my best.

Thank you for reading and commenting. J.J.