Boy in the Mist (Vampire BoyxBoy)

Raymond

After a dinner of airport pretzels and a cup of ramen noodles, Isaac decided to go for a walk.
     It probably wasn't the best idea, since all night he had felt like he was being watched. It was an awful feeling, one that left him closing all the blinds in his house and wondering if he should buy some garlic. Still, he felt like he needed the fresh air to get those silly ideas out of his head.
     It was freezing outside, and the wind blew Isaac's hair all over the place. He kept walking despite this, and he eventually found himself in front of the graveyard. The corner of the stone wall had been crushed, and the space looked easy to squeeze through. At least, easier than climbing the gate.
     Isaac cautiously approached the wall and slid through the crack, swallowing the lump in his throat. He knew this probably wasn't safe, but it would make for a peaceful walk. No cars or streetlights to bug him.
     Isaac walked along the gravel trail, trying not to look at all the gravestones around him. He stared down at his feet, trying to stay calm and enjoy the walk. It wasn't until he heard a voice that he looked up.
     "Hey there," the voice said. It came from a man standing on the top of a hill, leaning against a tall tree. Isaac took a few steps forward, but his "stranger danger" instincts caused him to stop.
     "How are you?" The man asked. He had a light, soothing English accent that was pleasant to hear. He stared down at Isaac, waiting for an answer.
     Isaac swallowed and tried to act brave. He was nineteen, for god's sake. He needed to act like it.
     "I-I'm fine," he replied, slowly starting to walk up the hill. "You?"
     "Surviving, I guess." The man threw his cigarette down on the ground and stomped on it. He then looked Isaac up and down. "I've never seen you around here," he said. "Hell, I never see anyone in the graveyard at all except for me."
     The man was very thin, with an extraordinarily pale face and glassy blue eyes. His stringy black hair came down to his shoulders, and he was wearing a clean, formal black suit and pants. His breath smelled of nothing but smoke.
     "Uh..yeah. I'm new here, and I was just going on a walk." Isaac shrugged.
     "Where's your house?"
     Isaac turned and pointed at his house, which was still visible through the fog. "Over there."
     The man raised his eyebrows and smiled. "That house hasn't been occupied for decades. I suppose they started selling it recently."
     "I guess. It was pretty cheap, and it's by my new campus."
     "Where are you from?"
     "New Jersey."
     "Cool." The man paused. "Well, since you're new here, I suppose you've heard some of the town legends? Vampires?"
     Isaac rolled his eyes. "God, yes. It's honestly kind of annoying."
     The man laughed. "Yeah. I've been trying to prove them wrong for months. I consider myself a certified vampire hunter."
     "Have you found any evidence?"
     "Nope. People put belief over fact, though. That could be said about everything in this town."
     Isaac held out his hand. "I'm Isaac."
     "Raymond." The man shook hands with Isaac, a friendly smile spreading across his face. "Pleasure to meet you."
     "You too."
     "You look like the kind of kid that would enjoy vampire hunting. Am I wrong?"
     "Uh.." Isaac felt a little taken aback. "Maybe. I get paranoid kind of easily."
     "Even better. You'll feel much better once you know there's really nothing out there. There are some odd stories I can tell, though."
     "What have you seen?"
     "Bats. A few odd noises. I heard a scream once." Raymond frowned. "I hope they're okay."
     "So do you believe in vampires?"
     "No. I think that everything I've heard was a prank by some kids or something." He shrugged. "I'm not really liked around here."
     "Why not?" Isaac felt a pang of sympathy in his chest. Raymond seemed really sweet.
     "I'm the weird one. Apparently by trying to prove the legends wrong, I'm 'ruining them.'"
     "No way." Isaac turned and looked out at the dark city. No one had their lights on, and the crosses on everyone's windows made him feel unsettled. It was only 9:30.
     "You should get back home. Normally people who stay out after ten are considered demons."
     "God. What kind of town am I in?" Isaac half whispered this, not expecting nor wanting an answer. Still,  Raymond delivered.
     "There are good people here. The bad outweigh them, though. Be careful if you go out looking like that- no offense."
     Isaac looked at all the tattoos on his arms and the chains on his tattered black jeans. He had recently shaved down half of his swooped black hair and dyed it bright red, which he had wanted to do for years. "I like how I look."
"I do too, but the elderly won't." Raymond stopped to think. "Have you met James and Andy yet? From that music shop?"
     "Yeah, actually. They told me the legends."
     "Oh, man, they get shit all the time. Tattoos, ripped clothing, cigarettes..I think we're basically living in a cult town. I don't mind Christians, but I don't care for the people here."
     "We should all go vampire hunting. Or, like, drinking or something."
     "That'd be fun." Raymond looked genuinely excited; he may have been happy to have a friend. "I'm here every night. Come see me if you're looking for a good time."
     "Sure thing. How about I talk to them tomorrow? James and Andy, I mean?"
     "Yeah. We could be the four misfits."
     "That would be so much fun. I love it."
     Isaac stopped cold once the streetlights below him switched off. The entire town was dark, for the curfew had been reached. Raymond chuckled.
     "That's a sign it's time for you to go. I don't want you getting hated on so soon, new kid." Isaac could barely make out Raymond's face, but from the time of his voice he could tell he was smirking.
     "Right. I'll see you soon." Isaac turned and walked down the hill, trying to find the gravel path in the dark. Despite the abrupt ending to the conversation, Isaac felt really satisfied.
     Maybe a rebellious group would protect him from the people in the town.