He grabbed the microphone and put it back into the stand with a snap. Luckily, karaoke night was over. It would be a good week before anybody had to endure the high pitch squeaks of Jenny McKenna or the low uneven base of Todd Richards. Nick shook his head as he remembered the horrible pain his ears went through week after week. As soon as he grabbed a hold of the stand to move it off to the side and then further into a storage closet, Nick heard a voice ask why he wasn’t singing. It used to be his thing, every week and sometimes a few days in between he would pull up a bar stool and sit there beneath the dimmed lights – sing his heart out to anybody who’d listen. It wasn’t a passion or hobby, just something he did.

It had been over two years since he felt compelled to sit down on that bar stool. Two long, lonely years. The night that changed everything about him, everything he was. In an instant he became a father figure to his younger brother, the owner of two businesses and home fixer. His world shattered and he was slowly working on getting the pieces put back together. Things were managing okay. He had dropped out of the local community college in order to take care of everything needed to burry his family. There was enough insurance money to pay off the house and both cars. Aaron managed to make it through junior year in high school then went on to finish his last year. He picked up a scholarship and was an hour away at the state university. Nick insisted that he go, get out of the town and make something of himself. There wasn’t going to be a moment that Nick let Aaron not have what he needed. He’d carry the load of the entire family on his shoulders, wanting his brother to go out and be a regular kid – not some sad little boy who can’t get over the fact his family was murdered by a bunch of vampires just as it seemed Nick was from time to time.

Thinking it over, Nick pulled the microphone back over and someone fetched him a bar stool. He took a deep breath and walked over to the singing machine. All the pages were pretty well memorized and he soon punched in a number to get the music playing. Clapping filled that section of the bar as many recognized the familiar tune of some Kenny Chesney song. Nick closed his eyes and pushed certain thoughts to the back of his mind. He was going to try and do this. He wanted to make it. His cue came and went, his eyes still closed. There were sighs out in the audience, lost looks on faces. The nervous lump was growing in his throat and beads of sweat were beginning to collect on his brow. He wasn’t going to be able to do this. Failure washing over him.

A hand was placed on his shoulder right as the music started over. The whispered voice telling him to try again was owned by his best friend, and bar owner. Nick gave a simple nod then glanced back to see Brian’s expectant face. The features of Brian Littrell weren’t anything spectacular. He looked like every other guy in the South. Light brown curls and dusty jeans that were starting to fall apart at the knees. The girls always thought he was cute, adorable even and was always quick to give phone numbers in hopes of a date. Some times he called, some times he didn’t. His business kept him busy. He started to walk away when Nick started to sing, those baby blues closing back up as his voice lifted with confidence. Brian smiled, threw a dish rag over his shoulder and went back to the bar to refill drinks.

An hour and a few songs later, Nick walked over to the end of the bar next to the wall that lead to the bathroom. He pulled out ‘his’ stool and sat down. A beer was placed in front of him which caused the young man to smile. He looked up at his best friend, tipped the beer bottle and then took a long swig. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips and the bottle was placed down in front of him, both hands holding the bottom.

“Feel better?” Brian asked, cleaning one of the glasses with a rag. Nick shrugged and then picked up the beer once more. The beverage was nearly finished before Nick decided to speak. He was standing up, throwing a few dollars onto the bar.

“Thanks for that.” It was all he said before he turned and headed out of the bar.

The drive home usually took about five minutes but Nick decided to go the long way. He went past his old high school, past the baseball diamond he grew up on and then eventually the park he used to take Britney and Louie. Both were out of his life, one not by choice. He sighed and turned down the street and continued home. He parked his truck in the driveway of his family home and slowly climbed out. His eyes went to the stars above and stared at the brightest one he could find. Like some little boy, he believed that his father was up there, watching him and looking over his every moment like a guardian angel. Nick wanted to scream up to the stars, ask what he was supposed to do now and how he was supposed to go day in and day out alone. Sometimes he would and sometimes he wouldn’t. Tonight he shook his head and decided to save his breath. He kicked at a loose rock before making his way down the front walkway and up onto the porch. A sound came from near his truck and he whipped his head around to look at what it was. His heart beat started to pick up and his hand reached around, trying to see if there was something within reach to grap for protection. His mother’s empty gardening pot was picked up. Nick didn’t even look out at it as he held it in front of him.

“Are you actually going to use that as a weapon?”

Nick’s eyes searched the front yard, the driveway and then saw him walking out of the shadows by the closed garage. He swallowed hard and watched the shorter man walk towards him. It appeared as if he almost floated with each step he took. He had precisely done facial hair, tattoos on his exposed arms and short dark hair covering his head. His eyes were dark, unreadable.

Words were lost from Nick’s lips. He didn’t know what to do when the guy was standing right in front of him on the front porch. The crashing sound of the pot shook him from his daze and he cleared his throat and stepped back.

“Who the hell are you? What are you doing here?” Nick asked quickly, trying to keep his voice from faultering. He didn’t know why fear was ripping down his spine in that instant but he had sensed something wasn’t quite right.

“I stopped by earlier this evening to see you…to say hi..” The other man started to say.

“To say hi? To me? I don’t know who the fuck you are? What do you want?” Nick’s temper was rising in a tremendous pace thanks to the few beers he had had at Brian’s.

The older man sighed, looked down at his feet and then glanced up with his piercing brown eyes. “To introduce myself. I’m kind of new in the area.”

Nick shook his head, none of his neighbors had moved – not that he cared, the closest was a good jog away through the woods.

“What do you mean?” Nick finally questioned.

“I took a job in the area a few months ago. I’ve been thinking of buying the farm down the road.” The stranger pointed in the direction behind him and Nick’s eyes followed.

“The Johnson Farm? I didn’t know they were moving.”

The nameless man shrugged and then smirked a big. “Sometimes money can change people’s mind.”

Nick took that in a moment, thinking about what was saying. This guy was buying out the Johnson’s for a reason. Was he wanting to turn it into condos, a stripmall or maybe worse – sell it to the state to allow a freeway through.

“You don’t look like the farming type,” He spat at the shorter man before him.

The stranger laughed and then shook his head. “I’m not. I told you, I have a job.”

“Oh yeah?” Nick asked. “Where?”

“Bite,” The man said calmly, his eyes fastened on Nick’s face.

Nick knew the place. It was the nightclub at the vampire resort that went up a year ago. It was pretty popular with both some locals as well as the tourists that come from all over the world. It’s the first of it’s kind. Nick had never been and never had any intention. This stranger on his property had a job there. That sent alarms ringing all over in his brain. His eyes widened – both rage and horror filling them. Nobody was more clear with where they stood on rights for the type of person before him.

“I’m AJ,” The stranger said holding out a hand to shake Nick’s. “And yes, I’m a vampire.”

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