Blood Ever After

11

They lay in bed.

Tyler turned over, away from the girl.

"Just relax ... forget about him. It's not your brother. You know that, Tyler. It's not your brother."

But images of his brother ran through his mind, the voice sounding in his head also.

Tyler, come down to the front door, open it up. Haven't you wanted to see your brother for a long time? Don't you want to come and see him?

***

Throughout the afternoon, the crew placed bags, weapons, and toiletries into the trailer on the back of the quad, and come nightfall, Tyler stood looking out the doors. A familiar face, skin rotten and greenish, looked up at him.

"Open the door," the thing moaned, or at least appeared to, the way his mouth was moving, but really Tyler was only interpreting its words, as no actual voice could be heard through the glass.

Charlotte's deep breathing reached him from where she slept. The sets of red eyes gleamed. Houses dark and shadowed behind them. "Open the door, Tyler, you know we are meant to meet again."

Tyler groaned, "No.... No...!"

Saturday, Tyler hung in Hannah's room. He looked at the jacket hanging in the cupboard. Held it for a moment, staring. "It was nice to know you, Hannah. Nice to know you, girl." He hung the jacket back up.

That night they played Medieval Madness.

"Stop it. Stop it," Brett said, knocking Tyler's piece out of the way.

"I win, I win!" Tyler said.

Soon they stood, Brett hurriedly moving off toward his bedroom, but before he disappeared, he walked back, giving Tyler a quick hug around his stomach. "See ya in the morning, loser," he said. The kid with the large black shirt then rushed off back into his room.

Nelson stood, held his hand out for Tyler to grasp. "Love ya, brother. Ready for the big move tomorrow? I reckon we try to leave about six o'clock, bruh."

Tyler nodded. "As good a time as any."

He slapped the man's hand.

Nelson went to walk off, then stopped, turning back. "Hey, boy." His eyes twinkled as he stared at Tyler. "You helped a lot, fixing the bike, and all ..." Nelson nodded, that long, rough hair sweeping over muscled shoulders. "I'll always remember that, brother. Always remember that."

He moved back, clasped Tyler's hand again, then moved in to give him a kind of man-hug. "Give it to me, boy, give it to me," he said, and they hugged. "You're like the little brother I never had, Tyler, the little bro I never had," he added, giving Tyler a light swat on his sore ass. A slight tear sat in Nelson's eye. "Now get outta here and get some sleep, weirdo," he said, and Tyler felt his rough hair scrape against his shoulder as the man moved off down the hallway, yawning.

Charlotte and Tyler sat on the living room sofa, and when the snores from the other two came from the bedrooms, they started kissing.

"Tyler, I've never met someone like you before, I really haven't," she said, starting to undo his shirt.

Tyler grasped something in his pocket, pulling it out in the dim light. A small silver ring sat in his palm. Charlotte gaped at it.

"Tyler? What the heck?"

Tyler shrugged, looking down at the ring, then the twinkling eyes of the girl beside him. The warm lights created a golden glow throughout, like everything had a sense of elegance to it.