Love Bites

Cory woke to the sound of thunder, and he opened his eyes to darkness. He and Kayla were still laying as they were when they fell asleep. Cory’s arms wrapped around Kayla and her arms curled up around his.

He loved his sister, but even in his semi-conscious state he wished that it were Lily who he was holding. Thunder boomed outside as the room lit up momentarily in a strobe light effect.

Cory thought his eyes registered movement in his room but didn’t see anything. His eyes were trying to adjust from no light to fish-tank light, to bright lightening and back.

Another boom of thunder, accompanied by a flash of light and Cory saw Lily standing in front of him, looking down at the twins. His mind registered it, as strange as she was nearly naked, only dressed in her new bra and panties she and Kayla showed off to him that started all of this mess earlier.

When the next flash came, he could swear that her eyes reflected gold, she had fangs and there was blood down her mouth to her chin.

“Cory,” he heard and panicked, his heart racing. “Cory – you’re hurting me,” said the voice. His arm stung and he spun away from Lily and didn’t go far as Kayla was on his other arm, but he flailed for his lamp and turned it on, looking back.

Kayla sat up and Cory snatched his arm looking for bite marks. Another boom echoed outside. Kayla said, “Hey, I’m the one afraid of thunder. You hurt me squeezing so hard and wouldn’t let go. I had to pinch you to get you to finally let go.”

He looked at his arm to examine the spot that hurt and saw a single mark where his sister had pinched him.

She put a hand on his chest and felt his racing heart. “What’s going on?”

“I… I thought I saw something. Someone.”

“What? What in the world could have scared you so bad?”

Cory paused, then said, “Vampire.”

Kayla moved her hand from his chest to his cheek and said, “Oh Cory. Don’t worry. Lily assured me Dallas was dead.”

“Not Dallas… Lily. Fangs. Blood…” he said and shuddered.

“Poor thing, you just had a bad dream.” She pushed him back down into bed and reached over to turn off the light. Moving his left arm out, she laid down on his arm, putting her head on his shoulder, one arm and one leg draped across him. “Guess it’s my job to protect you tonight. To make you feel safe.”

“She looked… upset. Mad.”

“She has every right to be. You sent the girl who loves you away, stupid. Think about how you’d feel if I told you to leave. To get away from me. How hurt would you be? And if I wouldn’t tell you why on top of that, wouldn’t you be mad too?” She shook her head against his shoulder. “Boys can be so stupid when it comes to girls.”

Cory sighed out loud. “That’s because girls are so confusing.”

She chuckled and squeezed with her one arm. “We’re easy to understand. Just love us unconditionally and treat us right. Now go to sleep. Lily loves you; she wouldn’t hurt you… or me.”

He put an arm across hers and tried to sleep. The lightening died out, so the room was only lit by the dim fish-tank light and Cory kept scanning the room looking for Lily. She told him before that a person looking for her when she was dim could see her.

All he saw was empty space and his closed bedroom door. Maybe it had been a dream. Or his semi-conscious mind trying to tell him something, but what? Was he afraid of her because she was a vampire? Because she had promised him sex? Or was it something else?

He wasn’t sure.

Listening to the sounds of the night, his sister’s soft snore – more of a deep, content breath – became the loudest noise, although someone a few feel away wouldn’t hear it.

He had managed to lull his sister back to sleep after waking her like he did, simply by rubbing her arm that was across him. Even though it was her intent to make him feel safe, he had once again succeeded in making his sister feel calm and secure without consciously trying.

Oh, who was he kidding, he thought. Her closeness had calmed him too. He was still worried and feeling guilty about what he did to Lily, but he would deal with her later.

Kissing the top of Kayla’s head, he listened to her steady breathing, which lulled him to sleep.