Shroud of Darkness (Eternity Series Book 1)

Chapter 2

There was a distinctive chirp ringing in Beau's ears as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He recognized the sound as crickets, but he couldn't understand why the sound was so loud. He opened his eyes, maintaining a slight squint, only to find he could see. Darkness surrounded him, and it had to be the dead of night, but it was like his eyes had their own personal sun.

What voodoo has been cast upon me?

His confusion continued to grow as he looked down at his uninjured body covered with tattered and bloody cloth. This puzzled him because how could his clothes be in such a ragged state, but his body be unharmed?

What the hell happened to me? He thought to himself. I must be dreaming.

He pinched himself to ensure he was awake, and sure enough, he was. Unsure what to make of his situation, he decided to get up and find the nearest piece of civilization so he could find a way home because his mom was going to kill him, especially if she saw his clothing. Placing a hand on the log beside himself for leverage, he stood up and began to do a slow circle. He was for sure lost, but after completing a full circle, something in his gut told him to go left. Well more his nose.

He followed the scent in the air for a while as he navigated the woods, eventually coming upon a small camp. Three tents were set up around a small pit, letting off smoke.

Campers. This is great; maybe they can help me.

He moved up to the closest tent and was about to try and wake whoever was inside until something inside him took over. His stomach began to ache as the smell perforated his nostrils. Looking to the tent just left of his current position, he began to move silently. His mind was on autopilot as he slowly unzipped the tent and let the opening fall to the ground.

Inside lay a young woman curled up in a sleeping bag. The scent was overwhelming, and his mouth began to salivate, but Beau didn't understand why until he noticed the bandaging on her left hand. There was a small red patch in the center. She was bleeding. He felt repulsed by the fact that he was craving the red liquid beneath, but he was so hungry. The knot in his stomach grew tighter as he silently crawled in to hover over her. He was a predator who had just found his prey.

Beau leaned his head down to her bandaged palm and inhaled deep. The smell left him dizzy and in a state of euphoria. He began to growl low in his throat. Mouth open wide, he went for her exposed neck and bit down hard. She began to stir as his teeth pierced her skin. He felt her hands push against his chest, but he didn't budge. Instinctively he placed his hand over her mouth as she began to scream.

Beau drank and drank even after he was full. His rush from feeding off her was just as intoxicating as the blood filling his stomach. Beau didn't release her until she went silent, and her body fell limp. He had drained every single drop from her body.

Finally coming down from his high, Beau looked at the mess he had made. The woman whose life he had taken. Nausea began to sweep over him as he stared at her. Her lifeless eyes stared back at him.

"Oh God, what have I done," he said.

A woman's voice called out from his right, "Hey! Who's there? Joanne, you alright?"

"Fuck.", Beau murmured as he began to panic.

He was so unsure about what to do. The woman was dead, and he had killed her. Did he say something? He began to feel dizzy again, but this time in an unpleasant way, and the worry began to rise more as footsteps started drawing close to the tent.

No, I can't just sit here. I need to leave. Escape. He thought.

With unnatural speed and agility, Beau propelled himself from the tent and took off into the darkness of the woods. He ran as fast as he could with inhuman speed away from the destruction he had caused.

Some hours later, a cop pulled up next to Beau as he walked along the highway in a daze. He was lost in the memory of what he had done.

Why had I done what I did? Why had I craved her blood? How did I move as fast as I did? He continued to question himself until he thought back to the woman.

Beau had initially thought she was out of her mind. Vampires had always been a myth. Nothing more than fantasy stories made up by the human mind, but the more the night progressed, he began to believe her words. He struggled to accept that he was now living the reality of a legend.

"Son, I asked if you are alright."

Beau finally snapped out of his daze and looked at the officer slowly driving next to him. Unsure of how to respond, he gave a short and simple response.

"Yes, sir.", he said as calmly as he could, but he was still shaken by the murder he had committed.

"What are you doing out at this hour, and what happened to your clothes?"

"I, uh, had a bit of an accident in the woods? "Beau responded.

There's no way he was going to leave me alone.

"Alright, well, why don't you hop in, and I'll give you a ride down to the station, and we'll call someone to come pick you up." the cop said.

This kid is definitely on something. Beau felt confused. He had heard the thought, but it wasn't his own. Probably a runaway.

Beau looked a the man, his temper igniting, "I'm not a runaway, and I don't do drugs."

The cop stopped his car and hopped out, "Alright, son, I'm gonna need you to hop in the back right now."

"And if I refuse?" Beau questioned.

"Then I'll have to arrest you and take you in. I'd rather not force you to go, but I can't let you wander the streets this late at night.", the cop said as he slowly moved a hand to his belt.

Come on, kid, don't make me arrest you. It's been a long night. There it was again. The thoughts of the officer standing in front of him.

Stepping back, Beau spoke, "Sorry, sir, I won't be going with you willingly or by force. I suggest you get back into your car and go on about your night."

"Alright, punk, I tried to play nice, but you want it the hard way.", the cop snarled as he lunged forward, grabbing Beau by the arm and slamming him into the hood of the car.

This ignited Beau's temper, and he began to fight back, easily overpowering the cop. Pushing the cop down to the ground, he grabbed him by the throat wanting to rip his throat out, but something deep inside Beau told him not to.

Leaning forward and piercing into the man's soul, he spoke, "Leave me be and continue on with your night. I appreciate your help, but I don't need it."

The cop's eyes became glossy for a moment as he responded, "I think you're ok. I'm gonna continue on with my patrol. You have a good night, son."

What the hell? Beau thought. Was it really that simple?

The officer's eyes returned to normal as Beau released him and stood up. The officer simply got up, got in his car, and drove away.

And that's not normal. I'll add that to a list of issues to get checked out.

Beau sighed as he continued his trek down the road back home.

The sun peered into the sky when Beau finally stepped through his front door. His mom had left a note on the door that she would be working a double shift, so she had no idea he hadn't been home. This played out in his favor because he was gone all night, and his clothes were covered in blood and torn to shreds. She would've for sure killed him.

Pushing open the door to his dark room Beau wandered over to his bed and collapsed, physically and mentally exhausted. He just wanted to sleep and wake up to find that this was all one big nightmare, hopefully.

Ding dong!

Beau slowly opened his eyes as the doorbell echoed in his ears. Groaning, he sat up and glanced at his clock. 7:48 a.m. He had only been asleep for a little more than an hour.

Who can possibly be here at this hour? Beau thought as he slowly slid out of bed.

Ding dong!

The sound echoed in his ears again, which began to irritate him. Clearly, his ear problem hadn't been a dream. This was the moment that he looked down at his body. Bloody, tattered clothes covered him, and a sense of dread washed over him.

Oh God, is it the police? Did the police piece it together already? Mom's going to kill me. His thoughts were racing.

Ding dong!

Beau quickly stripped off the clothing and stuffed them into a random box before pulling on some sweatpants. He stepped into the bathroom and did his best to clean up his face. Once he did a quick wash, he bolted to the front door and opened it, putting on his best smile. Beau's face quickly shifted to surprise when he found Lily on the other side.

"Oh uh, Lily! Hi, how are you?" he said as his panic subsided some.

A palm connected with his cheek, and all he could do was stare at her in disbelief.

"Hi, how are you? Really? You Turn Around And Leave, Then disappear All Night without warning And All You Can Come up with is 'Hi, how are you?'", she stared him down with tears welling up.

She continued her barrage of questions, "Where did you even go? How did you get home? Why didn't you answer my texts or call me back?"

"Well, I, uh, kinda got lost, and I lost my phone somewhere along the trail. I eventually ran into someone who helped me find the road, and then I walked home." it was a partial truth, but Beau stood by it.

"You walked home?" she said unconvinced.

"Yea, I walked home. I didn't even get home till about an hour ago."

She still didn't seem convinced, but she changed the course of the conversation, "Well, I'm glad you made it home. We were all worried that you had been killed like the young woman who was murdered early this morning."

Beau mentally went rigid as last night's events played through his head. The woman sleeping, her struggling, the taste of her blood, and those lifeless eyes. His stomach lurched as every vivid detail played out.

"Earth to Beau."

"Huh, what?" Beau blinked as he refocused on Lily.

"I asked if you heard about the woman who was attacked.", she said, eyeballing him.

"Oh, no. I haven't. What happened."

This was a lie, of course, but he knew that wouldn't have gone over well.

Hey Lily, I did know about it, and in fact, I killed her.

"No one knows. The police only disclosed that she had puncture marks on her neck and had been drained of blood. They suspect someone is mimicking a vampire.", she said with a hint of glee in her voice.

"I, of course, believe it was an actual vampire. I know they have to be real."

"Um, ok, enough about this topic.", Beau interjected, not wanting to hear about vampires.

She gave him a puzzled look, "Ok? Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Anyways besides checking on me, is there anything else you need." his tone was snippy.

Lily was more reserved this time when she spoke, "I thought I could give you a ride to school since you currently don't have your car."

Beau scratched the back of his head as he mulled the thought over. He didn't want to go to school today. He was tired and wanted to sleep all day, but it'd be wrong of him not to go on his second day.

"If you don't want to, it's fine..."

Beau interrupted her, "No, I do. Come on in and have a seat while I get dressed."

Lily was very hesitant to come inside when Beau stepped back, but she forced herself to enter the house. Beau led her down the hallway to the living room, so she could sit while she waited. After she was seated, Beau gave her a small wave and disappeared to his bedroom to shower and put on clothes. On his way out, he grabbed his bag before meeting Lily back in his living room. She fidgeted nervously until she noticed Beau's form in the entryway.

"Hey.", she said.

"You alright?" he questioned.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"You're nervous. Why?"

"Oh, I uh, I just feel weird entering people's homes. Most people find me weird and judge me, and I didn't want your parents to feel concerned because you're hanging out with me.", she said as she looked down at her hands.

Beau chuckled, causing Lily to look up at him.

"What's so funny, nerd?" she said, aggravation invading her tone.

"Nothing. Judgment isn't something you have to worry about here. My mom doesn't judge people by their looks.", he said, still chuckling.

She stood up and stomped past him to the door, "Let's go, nerd. We're already late."

"You got it.", he responded before following her to her car.

Beau paused at the door for a moment and looked up at the sun.

If he were a vampire, the sun would kill him, right? I guess there's only one way to find out. Beau closed his eyes and stepped out into the sunlight.

He full-heartedly expected to burst into flames and turn into ash, but that didn't happen. The only thing that happened was his exhaustion grew. The sunlight also blinded him somewhat, causing him to squint.

Consider death by sunlight to be debunked.

"Hurry up!" Lily called out to him.

Holding his hand up to shield his eyes, he walked sluggishly over to her car and got in. Putting the car in reverse, Lily backed out and then proceeded down the road, headed towards the school. Beau closed his eyes for the entire drive because the light was starting to give him a headache. He also pretended to be asleep to avoid any more questions from Lily.

I am going to need to get some sunglasses for sure.

The drive was quiet, which was a Godsend for Beau and his ever-pounding head. Unfortunately, the peacefulness didn't last forever.

"Beau, wake up.", Lily said as she tapped him on the shoulder.

He opened his eyes to see the giant brick structure that was St. John High school staring back at him. Usually, he'd be excited, but today absolutely not. Groaning, he grabbed his bag and opened the door to the car, and began to slide out until Lily grabbed his wrist.

"Hey, we're already late at this point; maybe we should just skip.", she said.

Beau looked at her with utter shock, "Excuse me, first period is only like half over, so why would we skip the rest of the day?"

"Because why not. It'll be fun, and I could show you around the town. I'll even buy you breakfast."

He slid back into the car and shut the door.

"Normally, I'd say no, but today isn't my day so let's go.", he said with a smile.

She giggled before responding, "Would you look at that? I'm already corrupting you."

"Start driving before I change my mind."

Before Beau knew it, they were barreling down the highway. The school was only fifteen minutes from the French Quarter, where Lily parked before beckoning him to get out and follow her. The sights, sounds, and smells were amazing. You had beautiful colors mixed with jazz, followed by the aromas of French delicacies. The combination almost made Beau feel better, almost. He was still suffering from the giant ball of light in the sky.

I really need some sunglasses. He thought.

"Hey Lily?" he called out to her.

She stopped to look at him, "What's up?"

"Is there a store nearby where I can get some sunglasses? The sun is murdering my eyeballs."

She bit her lip as she thought for a moment, "Mmm, I believer there's a small convenience store just down the block and around the corner."

Without another, the word Beau set off in the direction she had indicated.

"Hey, wait up.", Lily had said as she chased after him.

Beau was moving pretty quickly, and it was somewhat difficult for Lily to keep up with his pace.

"Beau, slow down, please."

Sighing, he slowed his pace as they neared the end of the block. Turning the corner, they came upon a small store in a very run-down building. The yellow paint was chipped all over, the red roof was very faded, and a small sign read: Quick Mart. However, if you ignored the mark left behind by the I, it only read Quck Mart.

"Wow, this place needs some renovating.", Beau said.

"Stop it. This nice little store is owned by the sweetest woman on the planet. Also, you asked for the nearest place."

Holding his hands up in defense, they both walked inside, and he followed Lily over to a small stand lined with sunglasses. Lily started spinning the rack looking at the various pairs like she was going to get some too. At least, that's what Beau thought until she pulled off a pair and held them out to him.

"Here, try these on. They should suit you well."

"If you say so.", he said before sliding them on.

He looked at her for a moment, "Well?"

"They're perfect.", she responded as she gave him a warm smile.

"Are you sure?" he questioned as he examined himself in the small mirror.

Wow, she wasn't wrong. They do look okay on me. And now I'm a narcissist.

Beau stood straight before sliding them off and walking over to the register. Behind it was an elderly lady. Her olive skin was lined with wrinkles, and her hair was an ashy gray. Lily walked up beside him and leaned against the counter.

"Hi, miss Moreau. Are you having a good day?"

"Ah mon ami, that I am. It is a beautiful morning here in New Orleans, but shouldn't you be in school," she said.

Her creole accent was soothing to the ears.

"Shouldn't you be in school, cher?" miss Moreau asked.

"Yes, ma'am, we should, but Beau is new to town, and I thought I'd show him around." Lily indicated to me with her thumb.

"Is this your new boyfriend?" miss Moreau passed a wink to Lily, causing her face to heat up.

Lily quickly clarified the situation, "Oh no, he's just a friend who is a boy."

"Ok, Cher, if you say so. Is this all you need, Mr. Beau?"

"Yes, ma'am," Beau responded.

Beau passed her the glasses so she could ring them up, but miss Moreau waved her hand at him.

"You take 'em. Consider it a welcome gift."

"Ma'am, I can't just take these."

"I insist. You seem like a nice young man, and it's the least I can do for you. I haven't seen miss Lily this happy in ages, and that's something I'd trade for money any day." miss Moreau gave him the widest warmest smile he'd ever seen.

"Oh well, thank you, ma'am."

Beau was still reluctant to take them. He knew the persona that everyone was seeing was a lie. At one point, he was a good person, but now he was a monster and killer.

"Now, y'all take care."

"Yes, ma'am, you too.", Lily called back as they exited the store.

Beau walked over to the small trash can and removed the tag from the glasses before sliding them onto his face. A small sigh of relief escaped him as the sun's rays lost their effect on his eyes.

"That bad, huh?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, yeah, it was.", he responded.

"I have some ibuprofen if you want some?"

Beau looked at her, "No, that's okay. I'm alright now."

"Okay, then follow me for some delicious breakfast."

They soon walked back down the block, heading away from the small store.

"So, where are we headed?" Beau asked as he soaked in the surroundings.

"A cafe called Bonets. It's my favorite place to go and get away when I want to be alone. The food is a bonus."

Beau looked at her for a moment. There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but he wasn't sure if he should pry. They really didn't know each other that well, and she'd probably be better off talking to Allie or one of the others. The group probably already knew of her struggles, so there realistically wouldn't be much he could do for her. He'd be happy to lend her his ear if she needed it and advise her if possible.

Lily looked up at him and raised her eyebrow at him, "What?"

"Oh nothing, I was just kinda spacing out for a moment. Anyways, what do you recommend from Bonets?" he asked, hoping to avert her attention.

"Um, well, my personal favorite is their croissants. I usually get them covered in chocolate, but they have other options. They also have good regular breakfast foods like eggs, bacon, and so on." she said, her mood lightening up some.

"Alright, then I'll try these chocolate-covered croissants."

She let out a gleeful squeal, "I promise you won't be disappointed."

Lily grabbed Beau's arm and quickened her pace. She held this speed to the Cafe dragging Beau behind her. She pulled open the door gesturing for Beau to enter.

He raised his eyebrow, "Shouldn't this be the other way around."

She lightly punched him on the arm, "Oh, shut up and get inside."

"Okay, okay.", he said as he entered the cafe with her in toe.

A woman around his mom's age called them, "Have a seat anywhere, and I'll be with you shortly."

Lily was already headed towards the booth in the back right corner, so Beau followed in trace. Across from each other, they both sat down. Not wanting to chance the headache returning, Beau reached up and let down the blind to block most of the sunlight before removing his sunglasses. His eyes had to take a moment to adjust, but the irritation was very minimal. Looking at Lily, he smiled at her, and she, in return, gave one back.

"Ya' know you have lovely eyes. They're such a beautiful shade of blue.", she said unsolicited.

"Um, thanks, I guess.", Beau said awkwardly.

He wasn't too used to compliments, at least not genuine compliments, and it made him feel weird on the inside to receive one. Usually, people only gave him one when they wanted him to let his guard down so they could get close for whatever twisted reason.

Please don't stab me in the back, Lily.

Beau, of course, didn't think she would, and nothing about her made him feel as if he should worry, but caution was something he lived by.

"Hi y'all, welcome to Bonets Cafe. What can I get for y'all today?" the woman from earlier said as she pulled out her notepad.

Lily immediately perked up, "We'll have two orders of croissants smothered in chocolate. The more, the better."

With a chuckle, the waitress responded, "Alright, dear, and will that be all."

"I'll have a coffee.", Beau said.

"You got it. I got two orders of croissants with chocolate and one coffee. I'll put that order in and be back with that coffee.", she said before turning to walk away.

A few moments later, she returned with a mug and coffee pot. After setting the mug down, she poured it full of coffee before placing a small bowl of creamer next to it.

"Alrighty, your croissants will be out shortly."

Beau reached over and lifted the mug to his mouth. He could feel the steam from the hot liquid, and it was calming.

God, I needed this.

Pressing the mug to his lips, he took a small sip. Furrowing his brow in confusion, he looked at the mug. It was tasteless, and the heat didn't affect him.

It's gotta be a bad pot. It has to be.

"Beau, are you ok?" Lily asked.

Setting the mug down, he faked a smile, "Yeah, I'm good. The coffee just isn't strong enough for me."

He chuckled nervously as he tried to hold it together.

"I can ask them to make a new batch if you want?"

"No, no, it's ok.", he said reassuringly.

Alright, Beau, stay calm. The croissants will be out shortly, and you can prove to yourself that everything is okay. He thought.

Unsure of what to say, Beau asked, "Hey Lily, what did miss Moreau mean when she said this was the happiest she had seen you in a long time?"

Her body stiffened some, "oh, that, it's nothing. She was just talking about how I always seem sad because of the family drama I deal with on a daily basis. It's hectic when you live with your father and six siblings."

Beau's eyes went wide, "You have six siblings?"

Her eyes darkened some, "Yea. It's honestly a nightmare. I'm the oldest, and I constantly have to take care of younger brothers and sisters."

"Does your dad not help?" he questioned.

"He does what he can, but he works all the time so that he can support us.", she said, her face full of anguish.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with that. If I can help, let me know. My mother and I are always around to lend a hand to someone in need.", Beau said as he reached across the table to pat her hand.

He was trying to be comforting, but he couldn't tell if it was working. On top of that, he was being truthful. His mom loves children and would offer to watch them if she needed. She very much understood the struggles of being a single parent since she had raised Beau by herself since he was seven.

A single tear escaped Lily's eye before she reached up and wiped her face, "Thanks, nerd, but I don't want to put that burden on your family."

"I assure you it's no burden.", he said thoughtfully.

Giving him a small smile, she responded, "Well, if I ever decide I can't take it anymore, I'll be sure to drop by with a bag of rowdy children."

Beau let out a small laugh before sitting back just as the waitress returned. She held two plates of croissants that she placed down on the table. Each plate contained three, and all were heavily coated in cooled liquid chocolate.

They really do look delicious.

"Enjoy and let me know if you need anything else.", the woman said.

Lily said back, "Thank you, and we will."

With that, the waitresses them to their delectable treats. As if the chocolate-covered bread wasn't enough, Lily decided to add syrup to the mix. Not just a little bit. She drowned them with syrup.

Beau gave her a concerned look, "You want to go to the hospital, don't you?"

"What? No, I just appreciate the flavor of chocolate and syrup.", she said back.

"Yeah, well, with as much syrup you put on there, that's all you're gonna be able to taste."

Lily shot him a look, "Hey, I have my way of doing things, so leave me be. It's good, and I won't have you criticize me for it."

He held a hand up, "I'm only picking at you, sorry."

They both stared at each other for a moment before they laughed and dug in.