Shades Of Death Road

HELLO! And welcome to yet another one of my supernatural fics. Let's see so far we've done ghosts, witches, demons, anthropomorphic personifications of Chaos and Death, now I'm doing vampires. I've actually wanted to do this for quite a while, I just couldn't find the proper inspiration. So anyway, you know the drill. If you read it, review. Don't forget, I know where you live.

Oh by the way, I would like to mention there really IS a Shades Of Death Road in Warren County, NJ. Thank you to Weird NJ magazine for pointing this out, the stories were cool.

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"You need me, don't you?" I asked, knowing my eyes were tearing up a bit. He just scoffed, saying, "You need me more than I need you." Then he walked out. I collapsed into the chair, too numb to even cry. So it was true, and it was over. Ray and I were over. But why I pushed him into saying it, I didn't know. Maybe I just needed him to say it, so everything would come full circle. Or maybe I just didn't want to be the one to break us up. Now I needed to finish this once and for all.

I wiped at my face, (I hadn't cried still so I wasn't sure why I did) then reached a shaky hand into my pocket for my cigarettes. I lit one, knowing what I was going to do. There was a place, two counties away, and I'd always determined if I were home and ready for the end, I'd go there. It was over in Warren County, skirting the woods. Along the road was a picturesque lake, and I knew I was going there. Just as soon as I finished my smoke.

***

It took me a few hours to drive out there, but I found it as easily as I did that first time in high school. Me and Ray had driven out there to see if the rumors about mob hit me, mad albinos and even the Jersey Devil (though we were a little far north for it) were true. It turns out we'd gotten this road mixed up with Clifton Road so we didn't see anything. Well, except each other. Sitting in the car next to the lake, Ray kissed me for the first time. I kissed him back lustfully. We didn't make love that night, but we'd been together since that time. Well, until now. He'd met a girl.

As I navigated the twists and turns of the road, lighting up another cigarette, I reflected on the past few months. He'd found another girl to be his beard (we mostly did this for his benefit since his parents were psycho Christians and mine were non practicing Catholics) but he fell for this one. It was hard not to fall in love with her, she was a ray of sunshine compared to the shadow that is me. She's beautiful, smart and always bubbly and happy to see you. I'd made some smart ass remark about her being a human cocker spaniel and Ray and shoved me and told me to shut up. He told me that night it was only playing a part, that he didn't mean it.

The road was deserted, and it wasn't much farther. I spotted it, then pulled over. I looked up at the sign and smiled. "Shades Of Death Road." I read aloud. Yes, that's where I'd gone. And I crossed that road and walked about ten steps before I was standing on the edge of Ghost Lake. That wasn't the official name, the lake didn't even have a name. I sat on the bank, staring at the water as it reflected the starry sky.

I could hear in my head Ray telling me and the rest of the guys the news. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me." My brother, my sweet little brother, had clasped my hand as Bob and Frank (the rabid rabbits) had congratulated him. So funny... It seemed like ages ago instead of hours. I laughed a little, and I knew I was losing my reason. I guess it abandoned me when Ray did. His words later hurt more than anything. "I'm not really gay! I was just experimenting. Then you got all depressed and I stayed with you because I felt sorry for you. Well not any more!" I got to my feet and crept to the edge of the embankment. "Yea, though I walk through the valley in the shadow of death..." I trailed off, I couldn't finish the rest. "Oh hell with it." I muttered, stepping forward. This was it, I was going to die.

I slipped into the water, the frigid temperature slowly paralyzing me as I sunk below the surface. It was so cold... I could feel the bitter cold ripping at my skin, seeping into my nostrils, my mouth, my lungs... Things started to go black and as little snippets of my life passed before me, I could swear I felt arms around me. 'Silly imagination, making me think Ray is here...' It was my last thought before I completely lost consciousness, cheerfully expecting to wake in either heaven or hell.

***

Ville Valo was roaming the road, as usual looking for someone to feast on. It had been such a long time, and he craved the blood. "Damn you Etienne." He swore as he must have nearly a thousand times since he'd been banished to that grotesque scrap of land. He sighed, shaking his head. It wasn't wise for a vampire to question the ruling of their sovereign, but he did in a big way when Etienne had exiled his best friend and sometime lover Cole, then executed his coven. Mige, Linde, Burton and Gas, all of them gone. One little uprising and Etienne had lost his temper.

Ville really should have been grateful, since Cole was a demon rather than a vampire and the leader of the rebellion he could have just as easily been killed. Or sent back to Hell. Instead he was banished and sentenced to being bound to a human boy for the boy's entire life. Ville just thought it was amusing that the child's name had been Brandon Cole Margera. But since Cole had been his lover at the time, and he'd been away in Russia, he was a tad upset. If he'd known about the revolt he'd have bitten his tongue. Instead he pitched a fit and attacked Etienne. For his insolence he was sent to Shades of Death Road, and he had to stay until Brandon turned 21. His sentence was up in a matter of days thank God.

So he preyed on the random people who were lost or their cars had broken down. When he saw a hunk of metal someone dared to call a car a mile down the road, he closed his eyes and appeared next to the driver's door. He looked inside and rolled his eyes. It was a mess of notebooks, sketch books, coffee cups, take out bags, comics and God only knew what else. "College kids." He muttered. There was no one there, but when he heard a splashing in the lake across the street, he teleported again.

Ville reflected it was probably a bit lazy to teleport so much, but it was a great way to surprise people and catch them off guard. When he appeared at the edge of the lake, he expected either a pair of lovers that had come to enjoy each other or maybe a fraternity pledge skinny dipping to satisfy his future society brothers (both of which he'd encountered before). He didn't expect to see a pale face slipping under the surface.

Ville levitated over the center of the lake, looking down at the boy who was sinking fast. He was a startlingly beautiful boy, with jet black hair that looked like silk. He couldn't see his eyes, they were closed. It was more than obvious that he was drowning, and when Ville reached into his mind he found out why. Suicide. The boy had come out there to kill himself. Ville would have left, but he was captivated by the sight of him. He was a tad startled when it appeared he was swimming back to the surface, but then Ville realized what it really was.

The boy stood before him, slightly translucent but glowing, it was his soul. He stared at Ville, face anguished. "Why'd he leave me? I loved him." The spirit said. "Oh dear Lord..." Ville gasped. Without another thought he closed his eyes and teleported into the lake. He found him close to the bottom and pulled him to his chest. He had him on the shore within seconds. He was unconscious, cold, and he wasn't breathing. Ville shook him and started to compress his chest, saying, "Damn kids... Never learn! Fuckin' break ups aren't worth it!"

The boy coughed and sputtered then gasped for breath. His eyelids fluttered and opened and for the first time Ville saw his broken bottle hazel eyes. He pulled him into his arms, then asked, "What's your name?" "Gerard.... Gerard Way." He stammered. Ville kissed Gerard's forehead, easily slipping in and out of his mind. "Alright Gerard Way, I'm going to send you home." Ville knew he'd get into a lot of trouble if he left the road, and he only had two more days to go. Instead he concentrated, and used his teleportation to send Gerard home. When the boy was gone he sighed, then said, "We'll see each other again, Gerard Way."

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Proceed to the next chapter.