Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2012 22:34:25 -0700 From: Jason Ramirez Subject: FLESH - Chapter One FLESH -This story contains sexual material between adults, and should not be read by anyone under 18. If you are underage, and/or offended by such material, please leave this site now. Otherwise, please enjoy the first chapter, and send all feedback to afro.hispanico@gmail.com. -Introduction- I never believed in the supernatural. I never believed in ghosts. It just never made sense to me. I was brought up in a Christian household, where only God was our only creator. I was taught that sex before marriage was a sin, homosexuality was an abomination, and abortion was murder. As a child, I was taught never to do these things. My life revolved around these guidelines until one day... Everything changed. My name is Terry Lee, and this is my story. -Chapter One- "Slow down, you idiot!" "Come on, dude! There're no cops around." "Yeah, that's what you're saying right now. First day of school, and we're going to be spending it in jail unless you take your foot of the gas pedal!" My nerves were shot. Flying down a major street in Southern California was a major no-no. It was the first day of senior year, and I wanted it to be perfect. I couldn't have wanted it any other way. I had my best friends, and my parents had a nice sum of money waiting to be spent for college, so everything seemed like nothing could go wrong. However, I sat in the passenger seat of my best friend's new ride, holding on for dear life. "Jasmine, if you go any faster, the engine is going to blow!" "Like you know anything about blowing." "Bitch." That was my only comeback. Jasmine was one of my three best friends, and the closest person to me. She knew everything about me, and I mean everything. My sexuality had always been a secret, until she came over to my house one day and found gay porn on my computer. When she confronted me about it, I spilled to her in tears that I thought that I was gay, and her response ended up in, "Okay, so what? That's it?" God, I loved that girl. By luck, we made it to the school parking lot, with ten minutes to spare. Jasmine reached into her purse, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Apparently, smoking had become a new habit of hers. "Want one?" she asked me with a wink. "Hell no. You're going to die early because you're smoking those cancer sticks. I want nothing to do with it." "Well," she started, "we're all going to die sooner or later, so why not enjoy the now?" "Because I want to die later rather than sooner." "Your choice," she said before blowing a wad of smoke in the air. "I'll catch you out here during lunch? I'm not sure what the other fucks have planned yet." "Yeah, sounds good. I'll see you then." I put on my backpack, and kissed Jasmine on the cheek before parting ways. I made it halfway to my homeroom until something, or someone smashed me into a locker. "What the?" I whipped around to see my buddy Dennis, who also was a part of our group. "You can't call your friend sometimes?" He gave me a stern look. "I could say the same to you." He looked pissed. "Hello? I tried to call you, and every time I called, you sent me straight to your lame ass voicemail. What's up with that?" I thought about it for a moment before admitting that I was screwed. "Yeah, about that..." "Yeah? Well, what about it? We're supposed to be pals, man. You always kept in touch Jasmine and Lisa, but not me. That hurts, dude." I felt like shit. "Damn, dude. I didn't know you felt that way. Don't take it personal. It's just that you know how my parents are. Every time you called, I was engaged in church activities, and always forgot to call you after I was done. That, or it was late." I was honestly telling the truth. "Yeah well," he began, "don't do that to me again. There was so much I wanted to tell you. I met this guy over the summer, and I've been wanting to introduce you two, and..." "Stop right there," I cut in. "Why do you always insist on introducing me to a guy every time you meet one? Why can't you be an average gay guy by keeping them for yourself? You know I'm not interested." "Well, this guy is different. I can't put my hand on it, but it's something about him that may pull you to him. He doesn't know that I'm going to introduce him to anyone, so make it completely unknown to him when you two meet." I felt like a fool. "Why do I do these things for you?" "Because you love me." "Yes, I do." I gave him a pat on the back and walked into my classroom. The rest of the day was quite boring. All I ended up doing was filling out forms and shaking hands with former classmates. I was ready for the day to be over with. Even lunch sucked. When the final bell struck, I ran out of the school building to avoid the stampede behind me. Before I could make it to Jasmine's car, I was attacked from behind. "Where you going?" It was Lisa, another friend in our group. I hadn't seen her all day. "Hey there! How's it going?" I was happy to see her. "It's good! Are you riding home with Jasmine?" "Yeah, but I don't see her yet." "Oh ok. She's meeting up with Dennis. We're all going to ride together, but let's stop and grab something to snack on before we split. Lunch sucked today." "Okay," I affirmed. "That sounds good to me." Dennis and Jasmine walked up seconds later. We all piled into the small Volkswagen and drove off. It was good to be with my friends again. They were the reason I enjoyed school so much. Without them, I probably would have dropped out, without thinking twice about my future. "So," Dennis started. There was an urgent silence. I could tell that he was up to something. I gave him a startling look. "Okay, okay," he uttered. "Remember that guy I was telling you about?" "Yeah," I answered. "What about him?" "He's coming to the back to school dance this weekend. I want you guys to meet him." "Uh oh. New man?" Lisa always picked on Dennis whenever he met someone new. "Actually, this one is for Terry." Jasmine's view focused on the rear view mirror. "Really now? Why is that? Was he too much for you, Dennis?" That sent us all roaring in laughter. "He's not my type at all, to be honest. There's something about him that's different than any other guy I've ever met, and I can't put my finger on it. Somehow, I know that Terry can figure it out though, which is why I want them to meet." I was lost in thought. "Is he even a student?" "No," Dennis answered. "I don't think he goes to school, but I did invite him to the dance, and he said yes. Who knows what could happen? He may like it there and start schooling with us." "Yeah," Lisa mumbled. "Maybe." My phone rang. It was my mom. "Hi honey, how was your first day of school? I really didn't feel like talking. "It was okay. What's up?" "Well, I'm checking to make sure that you're okay. There's been another killing." "What?" "Yeah. Felicia Stanford, a sophomore at USC. Just like the rest of the people on the list, she was attacked, and drained of all her blood. That makes the sixth victim in less than two weeks. "Mom, that's crazy! Who would someone drain their victims' blood? What are they doing with it?" "I'm not sure, honey. This doesn't make sense to any of us, so please be careful, and tell your friends to stay out of harm's way as well. I have to go, but I will see you later tonight for dinner." "Okay mom," I said. "Thanks for the head's up. Don't worry about us. I'll see you later tonight. Love you." "No problem, baby. I love you too." I was horrified. I didn't even know where to start thinking. I know that mentally sick people existed, but blood? Who would even want to do such a thing? "Earth to Terry!" I had zoned out. "Oh, sorry about that, guys. That was my mom. Guess what?" Dennis already knew what was up. "Another killing?" I nodded. "What the fuck? Please tell me that it wasn't another blood draining." I nodded again. Lisa turned pale. "I don't get it. Who would do such a thing?" "A vampire," Jasmine mumbled. "Awe, come on," I exclaimed. "Now, everybody knows that `vampires' are not real. Who even came up with that theory? Before anyone could answer, we pulled up to a Subway, and within seconds, Jasmine was reaching for the door to the entrance. It wasn't until after we ordered our food that our topic was brought up again. No mattered what they said, I knew vampires didn't exist. Jasmine, however, was convinced that some supernatural creatures existed in life. "Sorry guys," she said, "but I believe in creatures that aren't human. I can't think of anyone human who would want to bite into someone, and drink their blood. That shit is beyond crazy, and I don't believe that some sick fuck of a person has the stomach to down someone else's blood. Does that make sense to any of you?" "None," I said flatly. "It makes perfect sense," said Lisa. "At first, I never believed in stuff like this, but Jasmine is right. Who else would want to do some wacky mess like this? Whoever this thing is, it's not human, so it's good that we stay together. Six victims in two weeks are not good at all." >From that moment, we all dropped the topic and finished our sandwiches. Even though I didn't believe in unnatural creatures, I held onto what Lisa had mentioned. My life was great, so I didn't feel threatened whatsoever. Within a blink of an eye, Saturday arrived, and it was time for the school dance. Jasmine was part of the student council, and had put the dance together by welcoming both new and current students. I thought it was a great idea, because I was tired of my house. I needed some excitement, and I knew that Lisa would solve that problem the moment I saw her. The dress code was casual, so I dressed in black jeans, a grey v-neck, and my new chucks my dad bought a few weeks back. I walked around for a bit, saying hello to some students I had classes with. Lisa called me, telling me to meet the group outside. I walked outside to see Jasmine and Lisa. "Hey girls!" "Hey boo," Lisa called out. "You ready to get fucked up?" "More than ever." She pulled out two joints from her jacket pocket, followed by a long bottle of tequila. Lisa turned to walk to Jasmine's car, and stopped after she realized that Dennis was missing. "Hey, where's Dennis?" "I'm not sure," Jasmine answered. "He's the one who texted me to meet everyone outside." "Hey guys!" We all turned around to see Dennis...and another guy walking toward us. "Hey there," Lisa said. "Who's your friend here?" "Kevin, these are my best friends, Jasmine, Lisa, and Terry. Everyone, this is Kevin." "Hello," we all said in unison. "Nice to finally meet you guys," Kevin said in a masculine tone. "Dennis here has told me all about you. You guys are truly his best friends." "That's sweet," Lisa said. "Do you go to school here?" "No, I dropped out in middle school. I left school to take care of my mother. She died of brain cancer a year after I dropped out." Jasmine looked shocked. "I'm sorry to hear that." "It's okay. Really, it is. I've been doing great. The problem is, I really haven't taken the chance to meet any new people, which is why I'm glad to finally meet you all." "I like this guy!" I blurted out. All eyes turned to me. "Sorry. Did I just say that out loud?" "It's okay," Kevin laughed. "I like me too." Everyone laughed. Kevin seemed like a cool guy. He was very kind, and did I mention how gorgeous he was? He had a nice athletic build, with massive arms and a bald head. He also had deep, piercing blue eyes with perfect eyelashes. Dennis wasn't lying about this guy. Something was up with him. "Okay, I don't know about ya'll," Lisa cut in, "but I'm ready to party! Ya'll coming?" "Hell yeah!" Jasmine exclaimed. "Party's at the blue Volkswagen!" "Woo!" Lisa screamed. "You coming Kevin?" He looked a little shy. "Um, sure, I guess. I thought the party was inside though." Oh, it is," I answered. "The first party is in the car though. Do you smoke joints or drink at all?" "Oh!" Kevin gave me a surprised look. "It's that kind of party. Nah, you guys have fun. I'll go inside and wait for you all." "Are you sure?" Jasmine asked with a frown. "There's enough for us all." "It's okay, really. I'll be fine. It's just not my kind of thing." "Okay, no problem." We started to walk to the car, and that's when I realized how poor my manners had been. "Hey Kevin, wait up!" I called out to him. "Huh? You called?" "Hey guys," I started, "you can go ahead. I'm going to go inside with Kevin and keep him company. He doesn't go to school here, and I don't want him to get lost." "No, it's okay," Kevin said "It's really not a problem. I don't want to mess up your plans with your friends. I just wanted to meet you guys. We can hang later." "Really, I don't mind, and besides, the last thing you want to see is a stoned Terry. I'm a mess. Go ahead, Lisa. Ya'll spark it up!" "Sure thing, sweetie," she called out. "Have fun!" I wanted to get high with my friends, but somehow, I could feel Kevin calling out to me without him having to say anything. We got to the door, and he stopped. "So, what made you change your mind?" He asked. "Well, first off, I want to apologize to you about Dennis leaving you to hang. That's so like him, and he gets mad at me when I don't answer his calls." Kevin laughed. "It's okay. It isn't the first time he's done this, so it really isn't a problem at all. This is a nice setting here. Dennis told me that your friend Jasmine set this up. Is that true?" "Yeah," I stated. "She did a great job. She's part of the student council, so she has the power to do stuff like this. So, exactly how did you two meet?" "Who? Dennis and I?" "Yes." "Ah, we met in Chinatown. My phone had died, and I was trying to meet an old friend. Dennis saw me, and offered for me to use his phone. Of course, in today's technology, we don't remember people's phone numbers anymore, so I couldn't take up his offer. It was really nice of him, so in return, I offered to give him a ride home. I stopped him for a moment. "He let you take him home?" "Surprisingly, yes. I was assuming that he thought I was some killer or something, but he was very nice to me, so I figured that I would return the favor. We exchanged numbers, and we have been chatting since." I was very surprised, actually. Even though Dennis was a mega whore, it wasn't like him to get in a stranger's car, so I didn't understand why he let Kevin take him home, after just meeting him five minutes before. There was something about this guy. Like Dennis, I couldn't put my finger on it, but I could sense it. "Wow, that's crazy." That's just not like him, especially after what's going on with the killings lately." "Yeah, no kidding," he said in return. "There was one a few days ago. Felicia was her name, I think." "Yeah, that's her. I'm still trying to figure out how these killings are happening. I mean, the draining of blood makes no sense to me. What's your input on this?" Kevin stood silent for a moment. He flashed back into reality and said that he had no input on the topic. "Do you believe in creatures that aren't human?" "That depends on what kind of creatures we're talking about here," he laughed. "Ghosts?" "Nope," he answered quickly. "Witches?" "Maybe." "What about vampires?" Kevin's face became very serious. "Did you say vampires?" "Yeah," I answered slowly. "Did I say something wrong? Your face changed." Dennis smiled again. "No, you didn't say anything bad, and to answer your question..." "Yes, you do," I interrupted. "You believe in vampires. Do you think that a vampire is killing these people?" "I don't know," he said, "and until we find out, it's best that you're never alone. Keep your friends close. It's great to see that you have such amazing people around you." "Thank you, Kevin." That meant a lot to me. "What are you guys chatting about?" We looked back to see Lisa, stoned out of her mind. "Jeez girl! Put some eye drops in!" Her eyes were as red as a stop light. "Whatever," she said. "You missed out. You too, new boy." "I'll be sure to join in next time," Kevin said with a smile. "I'm so hungry," Dennis slurred. "I'm so hungry, that I could eat someone!" "Hold on, baby," entered Jasmine. "We're already dealing with one killer, so let's not worry about you too." That sent us all in laughter. We all walked inside the school gym to enjoy the dance, but before I could catch up to everyone, Dennis stopped me. "You feel it too, don't you?" I knew where this was going. "Yes, I do. What is it about him that I'm sensing? Something's not right here." "Exactly," he agreed, "which is why I introduced him to you. He seems like a great guy, but something is up with him. I'm sure he told you how we met, right?" "Yeah." "Sounds interesting, right? Well, the thing is that I don't know why he was where he was. It was nine o'clock in the evening. I just happened to be walking by. I sensed that odd feeling from him, which is why I took the chance to hitch a ride from him. If you ever hang out with him, please find out what's going on with this guy. For once, I think Lisa may be right." "Wait," I stopped, "what are you talking about?" "The vampire stuff she was talking about earlier. Yesterday, I said something about the vampires near him, and his whole attitude changed." "Yeah, his face changed when I brought it up just now. I'll keep you posted if I find anything out." "Thanks, bro." "No problem."