He reluctantly opened his eyes. He was in his own darkened room. Did he not have a dream? What time was it? He tried to glance his eyes over to his bright red alarm clock but was unable to. Only his eyes moved. He began to worry. He knew he was experiencing sleep paralysis. He caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye.

Sitting on top of him was Daisy. All dressed up in pink with a matching pink smile. He glanced around in his room to find that there was nobody around. Not The Man, not the people. Nobody. Just himself and Daisy. Slightly relieved, he looked back to her and saw that her face had changed. He gasped as she parted her rosé lips to reveal an entire mouth of teeth.

Sharp, razor-like. Even though it was just a nightmare, he could swear he smelled the foul odor of decay emanating from the depths of her over-stretched mouth. He tried to calm himself down by reassuring him that he was dreaming. But to no avail. She slowly lowered her head to his chest. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She gripped Aleks's arms at his sides like a deadweight. A deadweight with nails almost as sharp as its teeth, which were right at his - suddenly bare - chest. He tried to shallow his breathing so his chest would not rise any further to her ever slowly inching mouth.

Her teeth made contact right over his heart. Now, as slowly as she had descended, she bit into his flesh. He tried to scream but was unable to. He almost never experienced sleep paralysis. But he had never had one with a recognizable figure. This made it all the more terrifying.

‘Daisy!’ he tried to choke out between his silent screams ‘Daisy! Stop!’

This seemed to invoke an opposite reaction. She bit faster into his chest, gushing through blood and muscle like watermelon. She reached the bone. This didn't stop her, and she broke through with sickening cracks.

Alek knew when she punctured his lungs because he was suddenly unable to breathe, feeling as though he was choking on his own blood. The room span as the pain reached its peak. Daisy - rather, the intimation of Daisy - reached his heart. Alek could feel an extreme tightness as she began crushing down into it with her massive jaws. His vision was blurry from tears, and it became even worse when black and white pinpricks of stars showered his peripherals.

Suddenly, Daisy pulled her bloodied head from Aleks's chest. Through the tears and pain, he swore he saw her smiling.

“This is your fault” she whispered punctually through her rows of massive teeth. A tongue snaked forward and danced to form her words. He wasn't sure where it came from. There was a bite behind her words. Alek found a way to draw a slow and painful breath through his punctured lungs.

“It’s nobody's fault” He managed to say through the paralysis. Even though he was still unable to move his body, he managed to speak for the first time in what seemed like hours. It was a reminder that it would end soon, and he would live to tell the tale. Her eyes abruptly turned a pitch black. He felt himself getting lost in them before he saw another figure emerge from the shadows of his room. And then another. And one more. Daisy sadistic smile fell.

It was Benny. His mother. His late father.

They each followed to the left side of his bed. Daisy never once breaking eye contact with him. The three who entered were all stark naked. All four apparitions wore the same black eyes. It reminded him of holes, but he still felt their stare boring into him. The pain in his chest was gone, and thus he realized the hole was as well.

“Why are you here?” He asked, even though he already knew the answer. They all simultaneously tilted their heads. Which would have been a normal gesture, if it weren't for the fact that it was at a direct ninety-degree angle.

“What do you mean?” Daisy asks sweetly.

“Don't you miss us?” All four of them chorus. Alek feels a tightening in his throat. He did miss them, but remembering he was only having a nightmare, he retaliated,

“No. Not like this. Go away” He says in nearly a whisper. As though he wouldn't be able to say it an ounce louder. They all frown in sync and lift their heads to a normal position once again. The three on the side of his bed move closer until he was able to smell their putrid breath. They looked so...real. Trying not to let his emotions get to him over the past, he closed his eyes and willed them away. This only encouraged them to act further. The weight of Daisy slipped off like a feather in the breeze, and a familiar figure sat, then laid down beside him. Forcing himself to keep his eyes closed.

“Boyit mermem” His mother whispered in his ear. It was an endearing Armenian phrase that meant literally ‘let me die on your height’. It was used to show how much she loved him in words English couldn't explain. She would sign it on all of her letters she sent to him, along with a check so he could support himself alone. It was a reminder that she was always there for him, no matter where she was. He exhaled shakily. Taken aback by how real she felt to him at the moment. He wished that he could reach out and hug her, but he was still in a dream and paralyzed. Instead, he kept his eyes closed and let his feelings flow through his tears down his cheeks. These were not tears of pain from before, these were tears of regret. Regret that he was unable to contact her after the fateful night in September. Regret that he had not even tried to see if she was doing well in the present, or even seeing if she was still alive.

“Yes kez sirum em” he said even quieter. ‘I love you’. He takes a shaken breath into his pressed lungs. “I miss all of you. I wish I could see you again” he sighs. He feels the faint tingle of cold fingers on his face. Without opening his eyes, he could recognize that the ghosts of his past were collectively wiping his tears away. He smiled gently, and let out a laugh. He couldn't be sure what he was laughing for. It could have been happy for seeing these memorable people, or in confused grief that they were not truly there.

“We forgive you” They whispered in unison once again, their breath tickling his cheeks. Realizing they were much closer to him now, he opens his eyes.

They were gone. Not a trace to be found was in this room of his night visit. Alek becomes slowly conscious of his limbs once more, being able to sit up and reflect. The time was nearly four in the morning. He closes his eyes in defeat at how little sleep he had gotten, but at the same time revealed that the nightmares will subside. Today was September third. The day that he turned into a vampire all those years ago. It was another day of the reminder of how old he was.

‘I'm going to need a cane soon, I guess’ he jokes to himself. There was a sad bitterness to the way he thought of it. At this point in his life, he actually wanted to experience the downfall of late age. Being in a perpetual state of sixteen, he had already lived all of the mental milestones of those of the physical age of 84. He found this frustrating, yet bittersweet. He wouldn't have to worry about taking five hundred pills for his aches and pains, but he would have to learn how to keep up with the quickly evolving modern world for the rest of his life. Not being able to live in the moment was a drag, and when he did dwell on anything, it stayed with him for far more years to come.

He clears his throat of all the choked cries of his nightmare before getting out of his warm, inviting bed. There was no way he was going to get any more sleep with all of his thoughts.

September Third. An anniversary like no other.

After using the bathroom, Alek glides into the main room.

“Good morning,” says a grumbled, cracking voice. Alek, startled, drops his feet to the floor. He looks up to see Chris sitting at the table with his back to him. Chris was bent over the table. Operating with a small flashlight that was held in his mouth.

“Good morning to you too” Alek whispers incredulously. He walks slowly over to Chris, who was avidly scribbling on a large paper. “Homework? It’s four in the morning. Go to bed” Alek wipes his eyes just in case he was imagining this. Chris never woke up this early. Or stayed up this late. Once he was close enough to recognize the paper as a large drawing of a building.

“I have been up all night. I wasn’t allowed to stay in the studio. It’s review day and I gotta have this done” He frantically draws in lines with a ruler. Alek stands there, admiring the seemingly random geometric lines forming a two-story building in front of his eyes.

“Wow. That’s incredible”

“Yeah? Well, it’s due in four hours. I have to ink and color it, too. Why are you up so early?” Chris barely glances up from his work.

“I couldn't fall back asleep” He lies.

“Well, there’s coffee in the pot if you want some. Are you feeling okay?” Chris offers.

“Yeah. Thanks, but no thanks. I have to run some errands before work” Alek turns around and starts to walk into the bathroom. Chris stops for the first time.

“Well, come back at a decent time. I'm gonna have a few friends over for dinner and you’re invited” He says. Alek didn't close the door. He just stared at Chris for a little bit. Was he trying to make amends to try and be functioning roommates? Dinner sounded like a bad idea, but he liked the thought.

“Sure”

Alek made up the lie in order to get out of the house and away from questioning, but it seemed like he didn't have to after all. Dinner? What an interesting proposition. He wondered if he invited his friends just to make it seem less awkward. It will be even more awkward if he doesn't eat. And he silently scolds himself for the thousandth time for not telling him why. He has already caused Chris such trouble.

“Good morning Christine! You’re up a bit early, aren't you?” He greets the disheveled woman entering the elevator. She grunts and flicks through her emails at a threatening pace. At least it was better than their last encounter. They exit the elevator calmly and reach the outside together. The sun was just touching the sky, and Alek knew that it was going to be a bright and brisk day. He steps out, opens his umbrella, and takes in the fresh air. Joggers passed by with earmuffs and gloves though it was only in the mid-sixties. Birds chirped so loudly he thought his ears would burst. Smells of strong coffee intermingled with the smell of groggy commuters. He decided to take a few more minutes to take it all in and turned to sit on a bench. There was a boy sitting in one of the spots. Presumably sleeping. Alek walks closer and bends down.

There, wide-mouthed and snoring, was Jordan.

“Hey. Wake up.” Alek reaches out to shake his shoulder. Jordan jolts awake and grabs his arm, twisting it to the side.

“Oh!” He realizes. He drops Aleks' arm and looks up at him holding his arm apologetically. “It's a reflex. What time is it?” Jordan asks while looking at his watch.

“Why are you sleeping outside of my apartment?” Alek asks outright. Sure he may have been kind at face value, but he was still a hunter at heart. Jordan looks up at Alek from his bruising arm.

“I didn't know-”

“Yes, you did. And you are going to tell me or there will be consequences” Alek says ominously. A look of betrayal passes through Jordan's dark eyes as he looks away in shame. He thought he had earned his trust when they met in the Coffee shop, but Alek knows to always be vigilant from past experience.

“I was waiting for you”

“You had my number” He retorts instantly. Jordan snaps his eyes back to him,

“No, I gave you my number. Remember?” Alek remembers the interaction instantly.

“That's not important. Were you trying to kill me again?” Alek raises his voice. Their eyes meet again, and all of the sudden the sun seems all too hot through his umbrella.

“No. I-” He starts, cutting himself off, “I’m homeless” Jordan looks away again. This time to his fiddling hands. These words didn't shock Alek. He went against all that he worked for, and he was paying for it. In sympathy, or in stupidity, Alek slowly sits down next to him on the bench. He watches as Jordan anxiously picks the skin off of his cuticles. “But it's okay, you know? I won't have to get hurt anymore. And I'm strong, too. I can live on my own. Right?” He looks to the eastern sun, then straight back to Alek. “Right?” He asks with his brows furrowed. In a way, Alek saw a part of his younger self in Jordan, and he felt for him. Alek smiles softly.

“Sure you can” He whispers. The moment the words left his lips, Jordan smiles brightly with renewed vigor.

“Sure I can, man” He affirms.

“You know, it was September third, nineteen-fifty-one when I was turned. I was put out on the street for a long time” Alek rests his jaw in his open hand.

“Wait, today is the third, ain’t it?” He realizes. Alek nods gravely.

“Well happy birthday to you, little man!” Jordan laughs. Alek snorts. Even he found that a little funny.

“Alek? Hey, I thought you were going to do stuff before work?” Chris jogs from the apartment to the bench with a large black portfolio in hand. Jordan and Alek had been so caught up in talking that Alek had let the time slip by.

“Sorry for keeping you here. I didn’t know you had somewhere you needed to be-“ Jordan starts.

“No, no it’s fine. I lost track of time” Alek waves off while standing up. He checks the time and finds it to be nearly eight o’clock. “How did it get so late?!” He exclaims, “See you two later!”. Alek runs in the direction of Carries’ Cafe with his umbrella buckling from speed. Once out of sight, he presses on to his fully unnatural speed capacity in order to get to work on time.

“You know him?” Jordan asks Chris. Jordan saw the towering man and instantly thought of Wendle. It startled him.

“He’s my roommate. You?”

“Yeah. Yeah. So, you know about him?” He asks awkwardly. He assumed that if they had been living together, then he would be the first one to tell. Plus, if he didn't know, he would have to be pretty ignorant to see that he is literally carrying around an umbrella on a sunny day. The hunter part of him wanted Chris to get out of the living situation with a vampire, but he knew now to be a bit more tolerant. Chris furrowed his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side.

“Uh, sure? We have been living together for a few months now” He contemplates, “Well, if you know him that well, come over for dinner tonight. It’s like a party dinner. Six o’clock. See you?” Chris takes a few steps back as Jordan stands up with a giant grin plastered on his face.

“Great! Yeah, I’ll be there, man!” He takes up Chris’s hand and starts to shake it vigorously with both hands. Much to the surprise of Chris, who almost drops his artwork.