Alek had a bad feeling all morning but passed it off as just being the anniversary of his death along with the nightmare. Carrie had sensed that there was something wrong but didn't want to press about it if he didn't initiate. During his lunch break, Alek decided to take a walk to clear his head. He was far more exhaustible than before. A once simple morning shift turned draining.

The weather betrayed how he was feeling and stayed clear. Even warming up a bit as to prompt him to take off his flannel. He approaches a small outlet store that sold crystals, charms, and tarot cards. A small man sits behind the counter looking in his lap gloomily.

“Good afternoon, sir!” Alek greeted warmly and starts looking through the collection. He spends most of his time flipping through the magik books stacked neatly onto a pile. Alek then reaches for a crystal to take up and inspect when the old man pipes up.

“Don't touch those. You’ll taint them” He croaked lowly. Alek swallowed. He probably was right. He didn't know exactly how these were used. All that he knew was that they were used for good magik. If anything, he was the exact opposite. But how the man knew was beyond him. He didn't touch anything else, just continued perusing the shelves of rickety wood. “Boy, come here” he commanded after a moment. Alek complies while assuming his reasoning. He stands in front of the chair the old man was slumped in.

“Yes?” Alek wonders. The man with the silvery-white hair bends his neck upwards to meet Aleks. One of the man's eyes were sky blue, while the other was nearly as dark and rustic as his own. He fingered Alek even closer. He bends at the waist and turns his head to listen closely. The smell of mothballs and faint traces of tobacco emanated from the man.

Suddenly, the man reaches up and envelops Alek in his grasp. In instinct, Alek tries to forcefully worm free. But to no avail. He did not want to hurt the poor old man.

“As I thought. You’re one of them”

“Them, sir?” Even though he already knew what he was referring to.

“Only terrible agony can befall you now” He croaks. Alek realizes how odd this may look to those on the street and tries once more to break free. Yet he stops.

“Agony? Of what??” He raises his voice slightly.

“It’s not too late. You can still live.” Now Alek was even more confused. He was definitely talking to him. Agony and death?.

“Sir, what are you talking about exactly-” He enunciates.

Voice still muffled in Aleks’ shirt, he answers “You have lived past your natural expiration date. For that, the universe will make you pay. Yet I still do see a way out.” His empty eyes shuddered unpredictably.

“No, I'm done listening to you. I am not giving you any money” He finally pushes off the old man and stares belligerently at him. Recollecting his dignity. A quack. He is just another fake fortune teller on the street just trying to pick up some cash is all. He gathers himself up again.

Walking away from the stand, giving a polite “Have a good day” as he left. Even though he knew the man didn't deserve it for embarrassing him like that.

He stomps his way back to the cafe in a hurry to escape his thoughts. He knew that if he told anyone - especially Carrie - they would just urge him to find out more. He had been having strange ailments appear on his body. His myalgic ankles, the weakness in his limbs, and his temper running on a thread. Past his expiration date, huh? How would he know? Each point he remembered made him cringe from accuracy.

No. He must be full of shit. He wasn’t going to die. He couldn’t! He was just anemic is all. He just needed to drink more.

“Good afternoon”

“What damn truck hit you on the way back here, huh?” Carrie puts one hand on her hip and the other on the breakfast bar. Alek walks silently over to the kitchen to grab up his apron again. Even the cook looks up when he walks back.

“Who hurt my boy?” Carrie asks when he re-enters the dining area.

Alek tries the deep brown apron up around his neck “No one. Just thinking is all” He says truthfully, yet not meeting her eyes. He keeps himself busy by scrubbing the tables, which were already spic-and-span from when he left on break. Carrie sighs and comes to lean on the partition next to Alek.

“Well. your roommate invited me to your little dinner party tonight” Alek stops scrubbing. “Oho! So it’s about him, is it?”

“No,” He snaps “it’s September third. I’m just remembering things. '' Carrie shifts off of the partition to move closer.

“I don’t mean to be insensitive, but I know that’s not it” She whispers as a couple walks into the café.

“You have a tendency to be insensitive” Alek breaks his attention from Carrie and focuses on the customers. “Hi! You can sit right over here”

Though his shift ended at four, Alek decided to stay in the park to play some basketball. The sun drew lower in the sky than the previous day beat on his side. Unable to use an umbrella while playing, he made the risky choice to forgo it. Though it ended up wearing on him more from the painful spasms that jerked him like tourettes. Doing this seemed far less painful than going back to the apartment. He knew he would have to do it eventually. Just not prematurely. He had no problem talking to new people, It was just the people he knew that could cause problems.

The over-excited manchild.

The oblivious art student.

And the careless middle-aged woman.

Yes. The perfect storm. Alek spazzed, and threw the ball too hard and it soared over the backboard. It was his fault he hadn't told Chris. And last night's dilemma seemed to stir the pot more. He would have died if Chris had taken him to the hospital. That thought worried him and forced him to consider the downsides to it once more. It was his own life on the line after all.

The early-setting sun dunked below the trees, and Alek knew it was just about time to go. He dragged himself heavily from complete exhaustion and hid his ball back into the bushes. Hopefully, his energy was depleted enough to let him get through dinner. He picks up his umbrella and starts out of the park and homeward. He had been putting off the thought of how exactly he was going to eat. He remembered vaguely that Carrie told Chris he had a severe allergy, maybe that would hold out? Technically he did.

Before he knew it, he was back at the apartment. He looked up at the building to see his floor lights on, but couldn't make out a figure or shadow. He took a deep breath and scaled the steps. Only this time he didn't glide. He put effort into each step, and with each quiet pad of his feet, he seemed to become more anxious and hefty. Not for himself anymore per-se. More for the arguments that might ensue. Alek was sure that these three people were never meant to be together in the same room.

Standing outside of the door he heard a commotion inside. Indistinctive. That of about five or six people. Alek knocks.

Almost immediately, Carrie opens the door. “Where have you been? We’re starving!”

“Hello to you” He mumbled sarcastically, “What time is it?”.

“Ten after!” She shuts the door behind him, instantly trapping him. Alek looks around and finds Jordan, Chris, and three of Chris’ friends having a casual conversation in the kitchen. Each was holding a red solo cup filled with what he could smell as wine. Alek relaxes slightly and walks around the breakfast island to meet the group. Carrie follows close behind.

“Hey! Sorry, I’m late. Didn't miss me too bad I guess?” Alek opens with a smile. The smell of lasagna wafts into the air to the delight of his senses.

“Oh, here’s Alek. My roommate” Chris mimics Aleks grin, motioning openly to the air.

“Man of the hour!” The friend most glued to Chris’ side says with his hand outstretched. The smell of wine and other spirits rolled off of his tongue and Alek knew he had been pre-partying. Alek shakes his hand with a familiar nod. Chris cringes slightly.

“That’s Shane,” Chris sighs “Benjamin,” Nods to a blue-haired beast of a man, “And this is Christine”. The name catches his ear and Alek is jolted out of autopilot. The woman to Chris’s left was most definitely the woman he meets on his way out of the building nearly every morning. Yet, she was much less disheveled and harsh. She was wearing normal attire and not a pinsuit that clung to her sides frivolously. She was smiling.

“You know each other?” Chris asks. He must have noticed them staring at each other analytically.

“Yes, actually. I see her every day on my way out” Alek smiles. Once again not wanting to start something. “So how do you all know each other?” Alek asks to divert the conversation. Lucky or not, Shane pipes up.

“I’m Chris’ friend fum’ high school. Benny boy over here-” He takes a few stumbling steps over to the broad man “-is Chris’ muse”. Shane swipes a drunken arm around the tall man's shoulders, looking as though Shane was using him for support.

“Muse?” It wasn't that he didn't understand, It was just that he hadn’t heard that word in a while. Chris crosses his arms in front of himself sheepishly.

“Yeah! He poses for him n’d stuff. Super gay” He laughs. Benjamin says nothing.

“It’s for my foundations class!”

“Yeah and I bet he puts his dick in your mouth while he’s at it”

“Shane!” Carrie shouts from the bathroom. Alek stands in complete shock.

“That’s what artists do! Draw naked people. It’s not gay” Chris sputters. Carrie comes out of the bathroom drying her hands on a towel. Furiously glancing at the group in distaste.

“Now, even if he was. Would it be a problem?” She ranted. Alek could have sworn he heard Christine snicker beside him. It made Alek irrationally annoyed.

“I agree. That was uncalled for” Benjamin bellows and gently shrugs off the lanky college student.

“First of all, I am not dating or having anything with Ben. Can't we just have a normal dinner party like classy adults?” Chris pleads. Chris has never acted flustered around Alek, so this was a bit of a change to Aleks view of him. A bit of humbility.

“Since when are we classy?” Benjamin murmurs.

“Since when are we adults?” Shane sneers. Jordan puffs out his cheeks and looks around incredulously.

As the lasagna came to be served, Alek felt a knot in his throat growing. He couldn’t eat it, that was for sure. Carrie seemed far too smiley for her own good, and Jordan kept dropping small hints in conversation that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Nevertheless, Alek pressed on into the evening. Making lax conversation.

“Oh! Damn, I think the lasagnas burnt” Chris shouts suddenly. He runs to the kitchen and pulls out a perfectly crisped five-layered lasagna. The crowd shuffles into the kitchen towards the aroma. Carrie scoots her way to the fridge and pulls out a big bowl of tossed salad along with an all-too-familiar Contigo travel mug. He makes eye contact with Carrie, and an understanding, smug look is exchanged. Alek silently hoped it wasn’t in the fridge for long.

“Well, who’s ready?” Christine urges.

“Sorry, Alek. I didn't know what I could make you” Chris pities while the food is being passed.

“He’s like, fifteen. I’m sure he can find something” Shane tuts. Carrie comes back into the dining room with a steaming white mug.

“Don't worry, I got him somethin’” Carrie smiles and places down the mug in front of him.

‘The top is open! The top is open!’ Alek screams in his mind, ‘Is she trying to kill me?!’ He glares daggers at Carrie. This must have been her plan all along. She was gently forcing him to out himself.

“You have allergies, bud?” Benjamin asks while stuffing his face with meaty goodness. Alek sighs and looks back to his mug.

“Yeah” He agrees, picking up and downing the thick liquid. It had coagulated outside of the freezer, and it took all of his power not to throw up. He worked it all down so as to not leave a trace. Once he was done he got up to wash the mug all while coughing and sputtering. The slimy, stringy clots stuck to his teeth and tongue like spiderwebs. His eyes stinging, he washed the mug.

“You good in there?” Carrie asked with a smile in her voice.

“Great- cack!” He coughs. Alek spits into the sink, occasionally rinsing his mouth with water.

“Don’t tell me he’s allergic to something else” Chris gets up to check on Alek.

“No! I’m-“ cough “-fine”. Was all he could manage. One long string was hooked around his bottom tooth and fell down the back of his throat. He reached in to pull it out when Chris walks in, Carrie close to follow. Alek gags as he pulls it slowly from his throat. Chris pats a hand on Aleks's back and meets his side.

“Eugh! What the fuck? Is that a worm?” He revolts. He snaps his head back to Carrie, leaning on the doorframe. “What’re you giving him?!” He raises his voice. She just stands there silently, along with the rest of the group who had come to see the commotion.

“I’m fine, Chris!” Alek pants with the six-inch clot pinched between his fingers. Still facing the sink from shame. It was over. If Carrie was willing to do something so vile, Then she would be his first target.

In a childish bout of anger, Alek turns quickly and throws the string. It slapped Carries bare left arm. It slid down slowly, leaving a red trail before falling to the floor. Her expression twitched to confusion. The others stand in stunned silence.

“It wasn’t an accident, was it! I could have told him myself when I was ready! It’s not your business!” Alek bares his teeth and shouts at Carrie. A few stood staring at the blood clot on the floor, with Carrie, Jordan, and Chris at Alek. Alek shoots his eyes at Chris. Regret ebbed at him, but it was too late now. Chris looked up at the ceiling and was forced to hold onto the wall for support.

“Chris,” He lowered his voice, but kept an edge “I’m a vampire”. His voice cracked on the last syllable. It was out now. His heart raced, and so did the others. The words hung like sap. Carrie looked shocked that he even said it. Chris looked back to the sink with no readable emotions.

“I thought so,” he says.

Alek blinks. “What?”