Angel City has more missing people per capita than any other city in California. You can see the missing posters plastered across every telephone pole. Some of them are about an inch thick too. That’s how bad it is. The townies have grown used to it, but me? In all of the five years of living here, I never have. By day, the city is bright and colorful. The beach and the boardwalk are jammed pack with men, women, and children of every walk of life. They’re playing games in the arcades, fishing, taking photos, dipping their toes in the water and watching the yachts and surfers cruise across the sparkling blue water, or getting their names engraved on grains of rice. But Angel City at night is an entirely different city.
Sure, there’s still people out at night. They walk the boardwalk and the beach. But the arcade is closed, and all the rice engravers have gone home for the night and the yachts have docked. Some of them are doing some night fishing, but mostly, it’s just gangs of people who don’t have anything better to do except drink beer and tell surfer stories.
I had moved there with my mom to Angel City after my mom had come home to find my dad in bed with her co-worker. She immediately filed for divorce the next morning. Dad didn’t fight it. He was planning on getting a divorce himself, he just hadn’t filed the paperwork. Anyway, that’s how we ended up in Angel City. I loved it. There was a local comic shop right on the boardwalk. Darryl, the shop owner, offered me a job there and I readily took it.
I won’t forget the night I met Peter. I had just decided to come out as gay to my mom and was a nervous wreck. It was a Friday, and I was closing the comic shop for the day and getting on to my dirt bike to head home. I saw him for the first time that night, leaning against his black motorcycle next to the boardwalk. He had short blonde hair and wore a black leather jacket. He also wore a pair of wireframe shades, despite the fact that the sun had set half an hour ago. I found myself entranced by him. He was like nothing I had ever seen. Standing next to him were three of his friends, two were almost identical, except that they each had a different ear pierced. They both wore black tee-shirts and faded blue jeans. The fourth member of the group wore a bright pink letterman and was moving his hands back and forth while he talked. The man in the black jacket must have noticed I was staring at them, because he silenced his friends and walked up to me.
He looked even better standing right in front of me, and I couldn’t help but stare at his lips as he spoke. “You ride?”
I blinked and looked up at his sunglasses and tried to focus on them, but found my eyes wandering over his square jaw. “Oh, uh. Sometimes,” I said. “I used to race when I was younger.”
“Cool. My name is Peter,” he stuck out a hand. I took it and couldn’t help but notice how cold it was. “What’s yours?”
“Tony,” I replied.
“Tony,” he said. The way my name rolled off his tongue sent shivers down my spine. “Nice to meet you, Tony.”
“Sure, yeah. Same, Peter,” I replied as I put my hand away.
“The twins back there are George and Joseph, and the one in the pink letterman is David,” Peter said gesturing to each of them in turn. “Do you want to ride with us?”
I swallowed hard. “I would like to, but ah, not tonight. I’m free Friday though.”
“Friday?” He said, and again the way his tongue languished on the word was like honey. “Friday works for me. We’ll meet here, after you get off, that sound good, Tony?” He flashed me a wolfish smile.
“Yeah, sounds good to me,” I nodded.
“Good. See you Friday,” he then walked back to his friends. David hooted and whistled at him, and I felt my ears burning. I drove home, my heart and mind racing. Friday couldn’t get here fast enough. I told my mom not to expect me home that day after work. She didn’t mind, as she had a date that night with her new boyfriend.
Friday rolled around, and I closed the store. When I got to my dirt bike, I looked around for Peter and his friends. I spotted David’s bright pink coat. He was jogging towards me.
“Hi Tony, Peter said he wanted to meet up at the old lighthouse, is that okay?” he asked when he got up to me.
“Yeah, totally fine. I’ll see you there,” I said as I mounted my bike.
He nodded and left. The lighthouse wasn’t that far away – it was at the end of a canyon just to the south of the boardwalk. It had been abandoned when it was discovered that building a new lighthouse was cheaper than retrofitting a new light after the old one finally went out. Since then, the old lighthouse had become a popular place to hangout with friends.
Peter, George, and Joseph were already there, and David soon pulled up after me. I could see that Peter had a silver flask of what was likely booze pressed to his lips.
“Hello Tony,” Peter said after he finished his drink.
“Hey Peter,” I said, trying to maintain my composure. “George, Joseph.” The twins nodded back at me.
Peter walked up to me and offered the flask. “Here. Have a drink before we get started.”
The four of them looked at me expectantly, and I thought fuck it. I took the flask and took a long draught from it. It burned all the way down my throat like gasoline and I coughed as I handed it back to him. “What the fuck was that?”
“Vodka,” he said with a grin. “Ready?”
“Yeah, let’s fucking go,” I said as I climbed on to my motorcycle.
“Eager aren’t you, Tony?” he chuckled as he climbed on his bike. He revved his engine and pulled up next to me. “If you can keep up with us, we’ll meet here again next week. If not. Well. It was nice meeting you.”
I nodded and turned my bike back on, the familiar vibrations of the engine purring between my legs. I turned my bike around and got directly behind Peter.
“Is everybody ready?” he shouted over the collective roar of our engines. We all revved our engines in response. “Good! Let’s go!” And we sped off into the night, guided only by our headlights. I kept my eyes glued to Peter’s back as we drove, first on the road and then off road into a thick forest. Twigs snapped beneath our bikes and dirt shot from under our tires. I felt every bump and felt freer than I had ever in my life. All around me, Peter and his friends were whooping and howling with the sheer pleasure we felt. After some time of this, Peter turned us around and we began heading the way we came. I pulled up next to him and flashed him a huge grin and a thumb-up. He returned both gestures. A few seconds later, thick fog began to roll in. This only spurred Peter into driving faster, and we all pushed our bikes to keep up with him. I could only see Peter on my left and George on my right. The fog swirled around and behind us as we continued to push our bikes to the limits. The fog began to thin and up ahead I could see we were heading right for the edge of a canyon!
The others must’ve seen it, but they gunned it anyway. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stop or keep going. I looked at Peter. He was too focused on the horizon in front of him. George was the same way too. I looked ahead and swallowed hard. Their bikes revved louder and louder, egging me on. At the last moment, I hit my brakes and turned my bike around. Peter and the rest of them sailed over the side of the canyon and I watched in amazement as they landed on the other side. Peter looked over his shoulder at me and then pointed towards the lighthouse. I swallowed hard and turned my bike around and headed back to the lighthouse.
Peter and his friends were already waiting for me.
“Why didn’t you jump, Tony?” he asked quietly.
“I didn’t think I could make it,” I replied. Peter smirked at me.
“He didn’t think he could make it, George” he said, looking back at George.
“He didn’t think he could make it,” George repeated. George looked at Joseph and laughed.
“I think he was just scared,” Joseph said, “What do you think David?”
David shrugged and said, “Maybe he couldn’t have made it.” David looked at Peter.
“I think he could’ve made it,” Peter said. He leaned on his bike’s handlebars and looked at me. “I think you could’ve made it. And I’ll tell you what, come back here tomorrow night. We’ll see what you’re really made of.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“Good boy,” Peter dismounted his bike and sauntered up to me and patted me on the cheek. I could feel myself heating up a little. “Good night, Tony.”
“Good night, Peter,” I said. Then I was gone, headed back Angel City.
I arrived home around 1 AM. My mom’s car wasn’t in the driveway, so I had the house to myself. That night, I dreamt of Peter and me kissing. His hands roamed through my hair as he pulled my head to the side and began to kiss my neck. I remember moaning softly as I felt his teeth bite down, hard into my neck. It was pure ecstasy. And then, I woke up. The sun was too bright, and I was slightly hungover from the vodka the night before. I showered, shaved, and headed downstairs. My mom still wasn’t home. She must’ve spent the night over with her new boyfriend. I was secretly glad. I could put off coming out to her another day. I shot her a text letting her know I wouldn’t be home for dinner again. I cleaned up around the house for a bit before heading to work.
Darryl was behind the counter when I came in. “Hey Tony,” he greeted me.
“Hey Darryl,” I waved at him.
“Did I see you last night with a man named Peter?” He asked.
“Yeah, what about him?” I frowned.
“He looks like trouble, kid,” Daryl said. “Be careful.”
“Thanks Darryl,” I said with a smile. He didn’t smile back.
Evening couldn’t come fast enough for me, and when it finally did, I eagerly headed out to the lighthouse. Once again, Peter and his friends were waiting for me. This time, they had brought dinner with them in the form of Chinese takeout.
“Good evening, Tony,” Peter said as he tossed me a box and I caught it.
“Evening, Peter,” I said as I opened the box. It was full of rice. “Thanks for the rice.” I dug in.
“Not a problem,” He smiled. “When you’re done, we can ride again.”
I nodded. “Any tips for going over the canyon?” I asked.
“Just don’t think about falling,” replied Peter. “You’ll do fine.” I finished up my food and the five of us mounted up. Once again, Peter led us down the road and through the forest and then we turned and headed for the canyon again. I gulped as I saw the edge of the cliff, but I knew I could make it – the others had after all. Their bikes revved louder as they gunned it, egging me on. I swallowed my fear, closed my eyes and soared over the edge of the canyon. I could feel the wind on my face and hear the rushing of the air. I spread my arms wide out and hollered loudly. Then there was a jolt as I landed on the other side of the canyon. I grunted and but managed to stick the landing. Peter and the other four landed a little bit after me, all of them cheering and clapping. Peter grinned, and I felt my heart melt.
“Congratulations, you’re one of us now,” he said, slapping me on the back. “I’ve brought just the thing to celebrate you joining us.” Peter pulled a jeweled flask from his coat. He took a swig from it and passed it to George, who drank from it and passed it on. The flask traveled through all four of them before David handed it to me. I looked at it, and for a moment I was wondering if I should drink from it.
“What’s the matter, Tony? It’s not poison,” Peter said with a chuckle. “Come on, drink it, Tony.”
One by one, each of the other three began to chant rising in volume with each repetition, “Drink it Tony.”
I couldn’t help myself at that point, and I took a big swig from it. It didn’t burn like last time. It tasted smooth and sweet, almost like honey. A cheer went up from the four of them, and suddenly I felt much lighter. “What as it?” I asked as I passed Peter the flask back.
“Blood,” he said with a face like stone.
“No way,” I said, suddenly shaken. “That. No. Seriously?”
Peter laughed, and he shook his head. “No. I’m just fucking with you. It was fucking mead.”
“Oh,” I let out a sigh of relief.
“Come on, we want to show you something,” Peter said. He wheeled his bike around and we followed suit. He led us to an old rickety train bridge. We parked our bikes and he walked over to it.
“What did you want to show me?” I asked.
“What did I want to show you?” He replied. “George. Do you want to demonstrate what I wanted to show him?”
“Well,” George said as he strode across the bridge. “Sure.” He jumped over the edge and I gasped.
“George!” I ran to check and see if he was okay. He was fine. He was holding on to the side of the bridge.
“Hiya, Tony!” he said. I could only see the yawning chasm beneath him.
“We have this little game we like to play,” Peter explained. “We like to see who can hang off of this bridge the longest.”
“What happens if you fall?” I asked.
“Oh, we’ll be okay, don’t worry about that,” Peter said. Joseph joined his twin, and so did David, and then Peter. “Come on down, Tony.”
I took a deep breath and jumped down there with them. I caught onto the side of the bridge and hung on for dear life.
Peter was right in front of me. “How far are you willing to go, Tony?”
“What do you mean?” I asked. My palms were sweaty and already my arms were getting tired.
“How far are you willing to go, Tony, to be one of us?” Peter didn’t seem to be having any trouble holding on to the bridge.
“I thought I already was,” I replied. I adjusted my grip with grunt.
“Not quite. I need to know if you’re willing to go all the way, Tony.” In the distance, I heard a train horn blaring. I gulped. “So how far, Tony?”
I thought about it for a moment. How far was I willing to go? I looked into Peter’s beautiful green eyes and felt myself relaxed. I would do anything for him, I realized. “All the way.”
Peter smiled. “Good man,” he said. And then the train rattled across the bridge and I could hear nothing as it roared above us. The whole bridge vibrated and rattled, threatening to dump each of us off. Yet, somehow, we managed to keep our grip and the train passed by.
George, Joseph, and David all climbed up back onto the bridge, leaving Peter and I alone.
“You’re a good-looking man, Tony,” Peter said. “I’m glad you want to go all the way.” He smiled at me again and climbed up onto the bridge. I followed him, my heart thumping in my chest.
“George, Joseph, David,” Peter said, “I’ll meet you guys back at the mineshaft.”
The other three smiled and looked at me, and for a moment I could see a predatory glint in each of their eyes. Then they got on their bikes and drove away. Peter turned back to me and grabbed me around the waist. He pressed his cold lips against mine and I felt myself melting as I kissed him back. He pulled back and pulled out the jeweled flask and drank from it before giving it to me. I took a drink and then we kissed again. It was just like my dream. Until it wasn’t.
I felt something dripping on to me and I pulled back, only to see that the skin on Peter’s face was peeling off in sticky, wet clumps. Even behind his ever-present shades, I could see his eyes glowed a bright crimson color. I struggled against him uselessly as his ears elongated and became bat-like. His nose exploded into a snout and I could see long, needle like fangs in his mouth. He bit down hard onto my neck and began to suck. My whole body felt like it was on fire and my throat went dry. My eyes rolled up into the back of my head as I went slack in Peter’s iron grip. And then I blacked out.
The next morning, I woke up and everything was too bright. I was back in my bedroom, and sweating. My mouth was dry as a bone, and I felt incredibly thirsty. However, my first thought was to run to the bathroom and check on my neck. Surly, there must’ve been a wound, right? There wasn’t. I let out a sigh of relief. Maybe I had just imagined the whole thing last night. I splashed some water on my face and headed downstairs. My mom’s car was in the driveway, but she was asleep on the couch, still in her clothes from last night. She must’ve had a long night. I decided it was better not to wake her and stumbled my way to the kitchen. I poured myself a glass of water and drank it, but it did little to quench my thirst. So, I drank another one. And then another. Each glass did nothing for my thirst. Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door, and I made my way over there.
I pulled it open and after my eyes recovered from the sudden shock of California sun, I saw it was Peter.
“Hey Tony, how are you holding up?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe.
“Uhm… I’m alright,” I said, looking back at the sleeping figure of my mom. “How did you know where I lived?”
“You told me last night after you hit the mead too hard,” he explained. “That’s how I got you home. Just wanted to check on you.”
“Thanks. I’m alright, just a little thirsty,” I said.
“Yeah, I figured. Come by the old lighthouse tonight, at midnight. I’ve got just the thing to fix you up.”
I thought about it. “Alright.”
“Excellent. Are you still willing to go all the way, Tony?” he asked.
I licked my lips and nodded. “Yeah. I’m willing to go all the way.”
“Good.” He kissed me again on the lips and then was gone.
“Who was that at the door Tony?” my mom asked groggily.
“Oh, uh…” I looked at her. I coughed. “Mom, there’s something I have to tell you.”
She sat up concerned. “What is it?” she asked.
I shuffled my feet and then sat next to her on the couch. “It’s nothing bad. At least… I hope not.”
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Mom. I’m.” I looked down at my hands. “I’m gay.”
She went silent for a moment and looked at me. “You’re gay, huh?” she asked.
I looked back at her and nodded. “Yeah. That was my… boyfriend.”
“You have a boyfriend?” she quirked an eyebrow at me.
“Yeah we just started dating last night.”
“Oh! That. Hm.” She fell silent before asking, “Is that who you went to meet Friday night as well?”
“Yes,” I replied with a nod.
“Well. I’m glad,” she said firmly. “It’s about time you came out of the closet.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my head snapping up at her.
“I saw you kissing a boy on the Ferris Wheel down on the boardwalk last year,” she explained. “I knew you would come out to me in time, when you were ready.”
“Oh.” I began to cry. “Okay.”
She wrapped her arms around me and gently stroked my hair. “Why did you wait so long to tell me sweetie?” she asked.
“I was scared you were going to be mad at me for liking boys,” I answered.
“Well, I prefer you happy and safe, Tony. I would never do anything to compromise that,” she assured me. I cried harder and curled into her tighter.
“Thank you,” I eked out between sobs.
“You’re welcome. Now then. Do you have the day off?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“I think that this calls for ice cream, don’t you?” She headed to her room. “Go take a shower and get dressed. We’re going to the boardwalk. And remember, Tony, I love you. No matter what, I love you.” She didn’t hear me following behind her.
Not until I spoke. “I’m sorry, mom. I love you too. But I’m going all the way.”
“Hmm?” She began to turn, but already my hands were gripping her head.
With newfound strength, I gave a quick, sharp twist. Mom let out a strangled cry which cut off as her neck snapped, her spinal cord severing. Mom’s body slumped to the ground before me, an empty vessel through which the blood was already beginning to slow as her heart stopped. The thirst pounded in my temples, wracked my body. But I couldn’t feed. Not from her. Not yet. Somehow, I sensed as the life left her body. Could pinpoint the exact moment when the flesh and bone at my feet went from being my mom to a corpse, an unliving pile of organic matter. I stared down at her dispassionately, feeling my heart harden and my veins pulse. “A fresh start. That’s what you wanted for me, wasn’t it?” I turned and left the room. No looking back. No regrets.
That night, I met up with Peter and the rest of my new friends and we headed out to the beach. There was a group of teenagers, not that much older than ourselves sitting around a bonfire, celebrating the end of school for the year. We hid behind a sand dune.
“David, George, and Joseph, you’ll go with me, Tony, you stay here and watch,” he instructed.
“What are you going to do?” I asked.
Peter winked at me. “You’ll see.” The four of them climbed to the top of the dune and descended on the teenagers like shadows. I could see the flesh from each of their heads coming off in sticky, wet clumps and each of them had the head of a bat. I froze as they began to rip the teenagers to shreds. I felt my thirst burn harder at the sight of the blood. I felt my pulse quicken and then slow, and without warning I felt myself give in. My face began to grow slick with blood, and the skin began to fall off and had there been a mirror, I had no doubt I would have had a bat head like the others. I joined them in the chaos of the feeding frenzy and ate my fill, both horrified at myself and enraptured by the freedom I felt. The next day, I would see their faces plastered onto the telephone poles, and these people were just another statistic in Angel City.