REALIZATION

THE BOYS RODE UP TO THEM and Star tensed, the boys looked at Michael and Ellie and the boy that looked at Ellie yesterday smirked.

"Where are you going Star?"

"I'm going to hang out with some friends, this is Ellie and Michael." Star says avoiding eye contact.

"Come on let's go." Ellie says.

Michael put his arm over Ellie protectively as he looked at the leader.

"Star." He says looking at her.

Star gives Ellie an apologetic look and goes over to the leader and gets on the back of his bike.

"You know where Hudson's bluff is overlooking the point?"

"I can't beat your bike." Michael says.

"You don't have to beat me Michael, you just have to try and keep up."

Ellie gets on the back of Michaels as the four boys rode off, Michael starts his bike, and goes after them with Ellie holding onto him.

They rode into the beach Michael keeping up with them and Ellie laughing, having fun. All eight of them having a fun time.

They went off the beach and into a forest type area, Ellie waved at Star as she looked back at the two. It soon began to get foggy and Michael was finding it harder to drive. It soon became neck and neck between the two.

"Come on Michael."

Michael began to go faster and Ellie began to grow worried. Star looked at the worriedly until Michael saw that there was a cliff. He stopped immediately without crashing and Ellie gave out a little yelp.

"Are you okay Ellie." Michael says looking at her, she gives a shaky nod and Michael looks at Star's friend angrily.

"What the hell are you doing?" Michael then ran over to him and punched him.

"No!" Star yelled.

"Michael!" Ellie shouted.

The three other boys grabbed Michael and pulled him away. Star looked nervous as Laddie went over to her, but what Ellie didn't suspect was the leader to laugh. 

"How far are you willing to go Michael?" He says.

•••••••••

The boys go in first and Ellie is about to follow but Star stops her.

"Don't go." Star says.

"What do you mean?"

"Look I'm gonna help Michael, but just trust me and go up to the bike and go back to where you live please." Ellie looked at Star wearily and nodded.

"I'll get Michael and take him on one of the other bikes." Star went inside the cave and disappeared

Ellie did exactly that and went up the steps, and got on the motorcycle. She started it and drove away.

She was scared she made it out of the woods and towards the home. She hoped that she wouldn't get lost but she found her way. As she saw the house she couldn't be more relieved. She parked the bike and went inside.

She saw Lucy sitting in the chair on the porch, she saw Ellie and went over and hugged her.

"Oh honey you worried me, where's Michael?"

"I uh he's hanging out with some boys he met at the beach, he'll be home soon."

Lucy gave her a nod, and walked her inside.

"Alright well I just wanted to make sure your safe, I know I'm not your mom but it's usually bedtime."

"It's alright I'll go to bed, besides I am feeling a little tired." Ellie says yawning.

Ellie goes up the stairs and into her room, she lays on the bed and looks out the window praying and hoping that Michael's alright. As well hoping that Star kept her promise.

•••••••••

Ellie woke up the next morning at 9:00 and when waking up she immediately went to Michael's room seeing he was asleep and safe. She sighed and went over to him and saw that he was a complete mess. Ellie grabbed a pillow, placed it under his head, and grabbed a blanket and placed it over his body.

She felt his head and he felt a bit warm, she went downstairs and saw Lucy.

"Good morning sweetie, is Sam awake?"

"I didn't check but I saw Michael he looked pretty tired."

"Well he did stay out late, I have to go work but there's some bacon and waffles on the stove." Lucy then grabbed her bag and hugged Ellie as she then walked out the door.

Ellie grabbed a plate and grabbed the bottle of syrup and went upstairs to Sam's room and knocked. She heard a 'come in' from behind the door and brought Sam his food.

"Your Mom just left for work and wanted to bring you breakfast before I eat it all." Ellie placed the food on the desk.

"Thanks. What happened to Michael? He looks like he fell off a cliff or something." Sam says and takes a bite of the bacon.

"I don't know I came home earlier, I just tucked him in now. But I'm sure you can ask him that yourself when he wakes up."

Ellie then walks out and cleans the kitchen after Lucy left so she wouldn't have to worry.

••••••••••

It was 2 o'clock in the afternoon and Michael still hasn't woken up. The phone began to ring and Sam answered the phone, it was his mom asking to put Michael on the phone. Ellie went upstairs with Sam and went into his room.

Ellie was waking him up gently while Sam barged in, Ellie sat on his bed and started to shake him. He opened his eyes and was met with Ellie's eyes.

"Your mom's on the phone."

"Mike! Wake up!" Sam shouts opening the blinds making Michael hiss.

"It's Mom."

"Mom's home?" Michael asked groggily.

"No Mike, she's on the phone."

"What time is it?" Michael asked them.

"It's 2:00." Ellie says.

Michael kept blocking the sunlight from his eyes and then pointed at his sunglasses.

"Give me those sunglasses, Sam."

"What now you need to answer the phone with sunglasses?" Sam hands them to him and Michael flips him off.

As Sam walks to his room he looks at Michael,

"Are you free-basing, inquiring minds want to know."

Michael answers the phone and you could hear
Lucy on the other line.

"Are you still in bed?" Lucy asked.

"No, I'm up."

"Barely." Ellie jokes getting a shove from Michael making her laugh.

"Would you do me a favor, Max asked me to dinner with him after work. Would you stay with Sam?"

"Sam is old enough to stay by himself." Michael says groaning.

"I don't need a babysitter!" Sam Shouts from across the hall.

"Look Michael, you come home late at night, and you slept all day. I work all day and Sam is alone, please."

Ellie nudge his arm mouthing 'please' Michael looked at Ellie and sighed.

"Ok, mom."

"Thanks, honey. It's a real favor bye-bye."

He gives the phone to Ellie to hang up and she placed it on his night stand.

"I was so worried, Star says she was gonna get you. I tried waiting but-"

"Why weren't you there?" He asked.

"Star told me to go, I don't know why but she looked desperate. She told me to take your bike and she promised you'd come home."

"Yeah, well I just don't feel so well."

"I noticed I got some sprite and crackers downstairs and if you need them call me up and I'll get you some."

She then left his room for him to lie down, she went downstairs to get a drink and in doing so she let Nanook out to go to the bathroom.

Ellie went outside with him drinking her tea, when she saw Michael in a robe and still wearing the glasses.

"Wow, look at you out of bed." Ellie says sarcastically
coming inside.

Sam comes downstairs and grabs a piece of fruit and sees Michael.

"Hey Mike what did you do last night? You look wasted." Sam says laughing.

"I can't remember too much, after the Chinese food looked like maggots."

Ellie cringed and saw Nanook come back in from outside and went over to Mike.

"Hey Mike, Ellie do you think grandpa is an alien?"

"Mom and I didn't want to tell you until you turned 18." Mike says sarcastically.

Nanook began to lick the bottom of Mike's feet and Mike began to shoo him away. Sam called Nanook and went over to him. Ellie bended down to Nanook and saw Mike's feet.

"Did you spill something?" Ellie asked him.

"No, why?"

"The bottom of your feet are covered with salt." Michael touched the bottom of his feet and felt the salt in between his fingers.

"Well that was some pretty funky Chinese food." Michael says getting up from the chair, ruffling Ellie's hair causing her to punch him in the arm.

•••••••••

It was later that night and Sam and Ellie were making food for dinner as Lucy's father was getting ready.

"Hey, anything around here that might pass for aftershave?"

Sam looks around until he looks at the counter full of cleaning supplies.

"How about some Windex, grandpa?"

"Yeah, let me try some of that."

He comes over and takes the bottle and puts it on him, Ellie cringes as Sam laughs. Michael finally comes downstairs and sees his grandpa.

"Got a big date tonight, grandpa?" Michael asks.

"Yeah, I'm dropping by some of my handiwork to the widow Johnson."

"What did you stuff for her? Mr.Johnson."

His grandpa looks at him and then puts on his hat.

"Well I'll see you three later." He then goes out the door and starts his car. As he leaves you can hear his car horn leaving the driveway.

"That wasn't funny Mike." Sam says. "We're making some spaghetti."

"Don't bother." Michael says taking off his glasses.

"Lose the earring Michael, it definitely not you." Sam says seeing the piercing.

"Piss off."

"Michael!" Ellie says scolding him.

"All you do is give attitude, been watching too much dynasty?"

Soon the sounds of motorcycles fill the house as bright lights shines through the windows. Ellie could hear cheering and howling from outside. Wind began to come through the windows and moving the curtains and shutters.

"What the hell?" Michael asks.

Soon Nanook begins to bark like crazy, Michael goes into the living room and the lights began to shine through the house. Ellie went after Michael and held his hand.

"It's okay."

Then all of a sudden Ellie saw Michael switch almost in a trance and went toward the door.

"Michael..."  Ellie says as he let's go of her hand.

"Michael don't!" Sam Shouts as he opened the door only to find nothing.

The three of them look outside and saw it was windy and could hear the wind chimes from the from front porch. Michael closes the door and Ellie was a little freaked out.

"What's going on Michael?" Ellie asked.

"Nothing." Michael says and turns away from the door.

"Well after that I'm gonna go take a bath." Ellie says.

"Me too, I'm gonna use the bathroom Michael."

Both kids go upstairs and Ellie goes into her room and shut the bathroom door. She starts the bath and grabs her shampoo and conditioner she had from home. She had her cassette player play music as she let the water warm up and placed some soap in the tub letting bubbles rise.

Ellie took of her clothes and had a bathrobe hung up for her and got in the tub. She enjoyed the bath as she let the warm water engulf her.

She was in the bath for 7 minutes until she heard a barking and growling as if Nanook was attacking someone. Ellie rinsed her hair of shampoo and conditioner and got out of the tub quickly grabbing her bathrobe and going to see the commotion.

Ellie went into the hallway and onto the steps, she went down the steps and heard heavy breathing.

"Michael?" She turned on the lights and saw that Michael was sweaty and holding his hand bleeding.

"Oh my god, Michael!"

Sam came down the stairs and saw the same thing Ellie did.

"Michael what happened?" Sam asked.

"Nanook."

"What about Nanook? What did you do to my dog asshole!" Sam yelled.

"I didn't do anything, he bit me. This is my blood."

Nanook came over to the two and stood beside Ellie and Sam.

"Why did he bite you? What did you to him?" Ellie asked.

Michael got up and looked at Ellie,

"He was protecting you."

Sam looked at the mirror behind him and gasped.

"Look at your reflection in the mirror."

Ellie gasped when seeing Michael's reflection in the mirror, seeing as if he was disappearing. Then Ellie remember the book those two boys gave him, no reflection, sleep all day. Ellie took a step back as well as Sam.

"Your a creature of the night." Ellie says.

"Just like in the comic books." Sam and Ellie get up the stairs.

"Your  a vampire Mike my own brother a god damn, shit sucking vampire. You wait til Mom finds out buddy!" Sam says running up the stairs.

Ellie follows him as Michael tries to catch the two,

"Wait guys! Please let's talk about this."  Sam gets himself, Nanook, and Ellie in his room.

"Call the boys."

"Okay, okay." Ellie sits on the bed with Nanook as Sam grabs the comic book and dials the guys from the comic book store.

"You did the right thing by calling us, does your brother sleep much?"

"He slept all day." Ellie says.

"Does the sunlight freak him out?"

"He wears sunglasses in the house."

"Bad breath? Long fingernails?

"Yes his fingernails are a bit longer, um he always had bad breath." Sam answers.

"He's a vampire, alright here's what you do. Get yourself a sharp stake and drive it through his heart."

"We can't do that!" Ellie says.

"Why cause you like his brother or something?" One of the boys ask.

Ellie doesn't say anything and just blushes, Sam rolls his eye.

"We're talking about that later, but he's my brother."

"Fine we'll do it."

"No!" Both of them shout.

"You better get yourself a garlic t-shirt, or it's your guys' funeral."

They hang up and Ellie and Sam look at each other worried. How were they gonna sleep when there's a vampire in the next room.