Being Human by Patricia Lynne

to get in,” my aunt replied. She hugged my brother tightly. “Trying to finish what it started and kill poor Danny.”
    “No, he wasn't.” My brother pulled free. “He wouldn't hurt me.”
    “Now, son.” The cop's voice was patronizing. “I know it may seem like that, especially if it caught your gaze. Those parasites can make you think anything. I need you to remain calm and tell me what happened.”
    “We were playing video games.”
    “Don't lie!” my uncle snapped.
    “I'm not lying,” my brother insisted. “If you'd listen to me, you'd know he doesn't mean any harm. He's my brother.”
    “That's enough!” my uncle roared. He grabbed my brother by the arm, almost propelling me out of the shadows. “We've been through this before, when you were suspended. Tommy is dead and you need to stop this nonsense. Mr. Vargas says–”
    “Mr. Vargas is an idiot,” my brother interrupted. “He doesn't have siblings or kids even. How exactly is he qualified to be a school guidance counselor?”
    My uncle pressed his lips together before speaking. “Dee, take Daniel inside. We will discuss this later.”
    My aunt silently led my brother inside.
    “Your nephew believes the vampire’s harmless,” the cop noted. “That happens. Some people find it hard to believe someone they love is dead. Especially when there's a monster out there that looks like them.”
    “What do I do?” my uncle sighed.
    “I know of a therapist, helps victims of vampire loss.” The cop wrote on the paper and tore it off. “Give him a call; I'm sure he can help.”
    “What about the vampire? It's going to come back. If it already hasn't.” My uncle peered around.
    “We can post a car outside if you want. VF will be over shortly too,” the cop replied. “They’ll probably relocate you and set a trap. Vampires can be slippery leeches, it takes time to bait and catch them. If it wants your nephew dead, you don't want to give it the chance.”
    The cop left and my uncle and the other humans disappeared back into their homes. I stayed in my spot, listening to my brother and uncle argue. Finally my uncle ordered him to his room.
    I darted out of the shadows and across the street. Hugging the shadows of the next house, I moved around the back. Gauging the distance and scanning windows for faces, I headed across the lawns and up the side. “Danny.”
    The window opened a fraction of an inch, curtains still closed. “I'm here.”
    “I'm sorry.”
    “It's not your fault.”
    “Yes, it is, she shouldn't have seen me. I promised you they wouldn't!” I insisted. “What's going to happen now?”
    He was silent for a moment. “They're making me leave. Aunt Dee has wanted to move out of the city for a long time and now she has the perfect excuse. But they won’t tell me where.”
    I stared at the rows of houses. Lights glimmered in them, but tonight those lights lacked warmth. Every human in those houses hated me. The ones below me hated me. None of them knew me, knew what I felt. All they knew was I was a vampire, and because of that, thought I was a heartless monster. In their opinion, I was only good if I was ash.
    The only human that didn't feel that way was my brother, filled with a pain that transferred through our bond and into me.
    “You have to go with them,” I whispered.
    “Why?”
    I leaned over, seeing him through the curtains. “Because I'll find you.”
     
    ****
     
     
    The smell of my brother lingered in the air, faintly drifting on the breeze. I inhaled deeply, the scent as familiar as the house before me. I cautiously moved closer, aware of the truth. My brother wasn't in that house. Or my aunt and uncle. The humans inside were ones I didn't know, would never know. They were decoys, sent to the house, carrying items saturated with my brother's scent in hopes of luring me. Vampire Forces.
    I scrambled up the side of the house, leaning next to the window. The spot comforted me, reminding me of the nights spent talking