“Woah! A video game! It’s mine? It’s really mine? This is so cool.”

“Glad to make ya’ happy.” Mackenzie happily took his game from Taylor’s hands. “Maybe we can play together.”

“I want to play with Zac.”

“Zac’s not here though. So do you want to play with me?”

“Okay.”

“Speaking of Zac, where is he?” Diana walked out of the kitchen into the living room, wiping off her hands.

“Didn’t he tell you? He spent the night at a friend’s house last night.”

“No he didn’t tell me.”

“I could have sworn he did. I remember it. Are you sure you didn’t just forget?”

“I don’t forget where my children are, Taylor.” Mrs. Hanson stared at Taylor, her tone of voice showing that she was very irritated with his attitude.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know. All I know is that he’s at a friend’s house.”

“Do you know whose?”

“Nope, sorry.” And he turned to go play with his brother.

“He can’t really turn me back, can he?”

“No, don’t worry. Now get back home.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“You have to. Your parents…”

“To hell with my parents. I don’t need them anymore.”

“You need to pretend that you’re still their little Zac. It’s important so that people don’t find out.”

“Fine.”

“Just one kiss?”

Zac smiled in consent and she kissed him. His hands fell down her body to give her rear a small squeeze before he turned to return home.

“ZACHARY WALKER HANSON it is 3:00 in the afternoon! Where in the hell were you?”

“I was um…”

“At a friend’s house?”

“Yeah.”

“Taylor told me, but I don’t buy that excuse. I don’t want you lying to me. Ever, do you hear me? EVER! Now get up to your room. I don’t want to see your face until dinner.”

“Taylor? Will you take Mackenzie to his party?”

“What party?”

“Justin Wilkens is having his 6th birthday party and Mackie was invited.

“Yeah, no problem Mom.”

“And have Ike go with you.”

“Um…okay.” This certainly put a damper on his plans, but with if Isaac were to turn, he would be on Taylor’s side, then things could get more interesting.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Justin, happy birthday to you.” The newly 6 year old Justin blew desperately at his candles and then began to cry when he couldn’t get them all out in one breath.

“My wish won’t come true!” He ran out of the room, his mother was quick to follow. Taylor, waiting outside the door easily overheard the conversation.

“Honey, don’t worry, I’m sure your wish will come true.”

“No it won’t. Not now, I couldn’t blow out all of my candles.”

“What was your wish?”

“I had two.”

“What were your wishes?”

“I wanted my asthma to go away.”

“And…”

“And I wanted to live forever.”

“You can live forever in Heaven.”

“But you have to die to get to Heaven, and I don’t want to die.”

“Why are you afraid of dying?”

“Because when Daddy died everyone was sad, and he was sad, and I don’t like sad stuff.”

“Baby, being sad is a part of life. Don’t worry, everything always turns out fine in the end.”

“Promise? Pinky swear even?”

“Of course.” The hugged, and Justin ran back to his table to eat his cake.

“So Tay, where was Zac last night?” Isaac and Taylor walked side by side as the other kids played in the Wilkens’ back yard.

“He was at my girlfriend's, well my ex-girlfriend’s house.”

“You had a girlfriend and you didn’t tell me?”

“Well, she wasn’t the kind of girlfriend I could take out, or that I could show off.”

“Why couldn't you take her out? Or tell your brother? What was she, a demon?"

Taylor left Isaac's questions unaswered. “I guess girlfriend wasn’t really the best word. She was more like a lover, really.”

“So Zac was at your lover’s house? Why? I’m not even going to ask why you had a lover.”

“Glad you’re not asking, I should think the answer would be pretty obvious. As for Zac, he was there the same reason that I was.”

“So you’re sharing a girl? God Tay, that’s disgusting.”

“No, she slept with him and I left her.”

“I’m sorry Tay.”

“But there’s more to the story.”

“There is?”

“Yeah, you might want to sit down for this, though.”

Isaac sat and stared at his brother. There was something different about him, he had begun to notice it a while ago.

“I’m not the same anymore.” Taylor began. “A few months ago I hit a very depressing period in my life.”

“I remember that.”

“Yeah, and I was going to commit suicide in the river down the road from our house, but then I met Venisa. She had been at the river as well. She was a vampire.”

“Taylor there’s no such things as vampires.”

“Yes there is, I’m proof.”

“This is a really lame joke.”

“It’s not joke. Zac is one too. Venisa was the one who turned me, and I was the one who turned Zac. But Zac is evil, he’s twisted and corrupt. That’s why he stole Venisa from me. He has a lust for power and control, I have a longing for love and acceptance. Whatever you lacked most in your human life is the trait you search for in the dark-life. Only once you are turned you obtain special qualities to help you find that.”

“Can you die?”

“I think so. There’s no such things as slayers or magic, so I’m assuming you can die.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I want you to help me. We need to beat Zac.”

“How? We can’t can't kill him.”

“There’s got to be a way. We can take his power.”

“Lock him up?”

“No, take the only thing that he loves from him.”

“He can always buy another video game system or another drum set.”

“No Ike, I’m talking about Mackie.”



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