We go together to visit the small inadequate kitchen I check to find it barren, with no crates of eggs, rice, stocked up chicken, or beef.
Slamming the fridge in disbelief I stomp out of the canteen, Alice follows close behind while my stomach growls. Alex was outside the door visible from the large kitchen window strolling away.
I immediately push the door open, he pauses waiting for us.
"Alex!" I shout.
"Yes Christian?" Alex says.
"What happened to the kitchen stock?" I ask.
"We never had any such thing Christian." He replies.
Perhaps…Dominique wiped Chara from Everett house's existence too…it would distract me anyways if she was here. Will I also not be able to eat human food if I give this to Alex?
"I see…where can I get food?" I inquire.
"We can order for you and have someone pick it up. Mai is almost always out." Alex explains.
"Oh good, is it okay I make this my last meal?" I request.
"Sure, just tell me what you want and I will jot it down." Alex says.
He brings out his cellphone scribbling something down to someone, he keeps the sound up of the clicks it makes while pressing the pad. He stares up with a blank face.
It was so intimidating that I forgot I was hungry, his thirsty grey eyes haunted me under the fluffy brown hair that he kept unkempt on the top of his head.
"Christian? Are you feeling okay?" Alex shouts.
"Oh! Right…can I get pizza? Burgers and fries and chocolate?" I challenge myself.
"Is that all you want? You can have whatever you want, you know?" Alex adds.
"You must be really hungry!" Alice laughs.
"You have no idea!" I yell.
They could hear my stomach churn in its own juices, I wanted to cry, but I can't imagine a vampire's den to have food in the first place. Alex is silently tapping one button at a time and then stuffing it in his pocket.
"It may be an hour or so, it's best to be patient." Alex comments.
Walking away from us afterward, I wonder if I should have said anything, but instead, I let him go. Alice pokes my back.
"Alice?"
"Just take it easy, Alex is always like this," Alice affirms.
"Alice, I need to know. How come we worked at the same job? How come you lived on the same street like me? What is the coincidence of that happening?" I ask.
"About that…" Alice says.
"I got all day now," I add.
"Let's go to my room Christian."
Alice's face pinkens upon hearing the subject matter at hand, I stay stationary.
"I don't want to go to the room to talk, I want to know the truth!" I argue.
"Yes Christian ever since I learned Gavyn chose you I was meant to keep a close eye on you. I don't want you to end up in the same fate!"
"Did people have to die before I ever learned?"
The sound of stomping could be heard on the hard floors sprinting for us, instinctively I pulled back pushing Alice away to find it is just one of the other members of the household panting. She was dressed in breezy red blouse and leather pants, her brunette hair in a ponytail.
"Alice, It's Alex!" She shouts.
"What happened?" Alice cries.
"Someone said he collapsed in the hallway, Everett is with him now!"
Trailing the members we quickly stand outside the small crowd at Alex's doorway, all I know is Everett one day plans to give the clan to him. Being one of the tallest I get a gander of the situation from afar.
Alice dashes towards his room yelling at the other clansman, they scatter shortly after. Alex is holding his arms up over his eyes. I can hear Everett making noise trying to push his hands down, but Alex is being stubborn.
I step around the party that decided to stay there with my long legs. Alice glares at me, but I recalled from before the type of assistant I am. Would I possibly be able to help Alex?"
Clutching his wrist he refuses to let me touch him, shoving me away from his bedside groaning out in pain. He flashes his eyes open a second for me to see the halo rise and close.
"Alex!" I shout.
"Leave…me alone!" He scolds me.
"He is in pain Christian, be kind!" Alice argues.
"Do you know something?" Everett asks.
"I saw this before…" I said, "My friend."
"Those people who took you away from us aren't friends." Everett criticizes.
I decided to not continue my next thought focusing on Alex's pain instead, his body trembled. It was as though his skin was sensitive to touch within the light of the halo. Is it something vampires are not able to touch?
Upon further examination, I notice his skin is much paler than usual. Everett tries his best to move Alex up, but he keeps delaying the need to see someone bickering and carrying on like a child.
"I came as soon as possible!" Mai shouts.
She was holding groceries and my orders in hand startled by our outburst, I helped take the bundles and bags from her by sitting them against the wall. Mai runs in, lifting Alex up, pressing her long pointer fingernail into his back like a needle slowly sliding it back out.
He stops fighting, falling limp into her arms, Everett was relieved she came. Lifting his eyelids she gawks at me for a moment with a smile.
"Christian, are you okay?" Everett asks.
"I am fine, let me take my master, Mai!" I demand.
Raising him in my own arms felt so odd, he is much smaller than any male I ever met in my life. I had so many questions about his existence. Something felt wrong, something was wrong!
A flicker of light shimmered casting a glaring reflection, I almost dropped Alex as my joints in my knees and ankles grew weak against the radiance surrounding us, the light was giving me a migraine.
"Alex…where are we?"
"He is merely changing, Christian." The strange lovely voice said.
"Changing?"
"Like all beings, we adapt and change, he will only be sick a few days I promise."
"Why is it happening to Alex specifically?" I ask.
"I can't tell you that little one, but he is blessed as a sinned beast."
"Look I don't care about your dribble, let us leave already!" I yell.
I can't see anything other than hearing a seraphic voice high into the further reaches of the above, squinting only casts the worst headache searching for the anonymous being.
"I didn't exactly invite you, you tapped into Alex's subconscious…you are inside the halo."
"Wait, that means!" I shout.
Acknowledging how I got there drew me out of his inner psyche, the sounds of wings a flurry flapping over my head. It rained down feathers of white, you could have mistaken it for snow raining down on us.
"Christian!" Alice wails, "You collapsed as soon as you picked Alex up!"
Laying beside Alex on the bed I realized touching him made me faint, but am I not affected by the halo's rings? Or was I being drawn in…am I next?
"No one is touching Alex!" Everett states.
"We can take care of him right here." Mai smiles.
Alice picks up a feather lying on my stomach, tickling my face with it. I can only help, but laugh, but inside I was terrified. Something really did happen.
"Can I have a couple of pain killers please?" I beg.
Holding my throbbing head, Mai sets Alex's hands on his chest bringing him a curious glare. I was unsure where she was going with her facial expressions.
"Christian…I was able to touch him just fine." Mai says.
"Are you feeling okay?" Everett asks.
"I am fine, I just don't know what happened," I responded.
"We can take care of Alex, you should rest." Alice comments.
"Not you too!" I argue.
"Go back to your room please, I will come soon." Mai states.
Alice jumps up to escort me to my room, I make a run for it rushing the other way towards Alex's room. I could feel something roll under my foot, I trip on my face.
Haunting giggles rise from out of nowhere, they sound like a child or children all at once expelling air through their throat purposely trying to laugh. Peeking up a bloated doll head with sewn-on eyes and crudely dressed yarn hair, a tattered dress sails through the air vanishing after taking notice of its existence.
I scream scampering to my feet, Alice gives a chuckle at my expense.
"What the hell was that Alice?" I argue.
"You really have so much to learn," Alice explains, "Let's go to your room now."
I give up agreeing to go back to my room after that awfully scary display she just gave me. Children's dolls are objects of natural adult fears. Somehow she seems to have one protecting her or doing her bidding.