vampire · manipulative · irish · sinners · banjo player · cruel · lonely · horror · antagonist
The porch light flickered, a dying yellow bulb that cast long shadows across splintered wood. Ivy climbed the clapboards like veins, and somewhere inside, a banjo plucked a slow, lonesome tune. Remmick stood at the edge of the property, boots planted in the damp grass, ice-blue eyes fixed on the open door. The song spilled out—rough, off-key, achingly human. He could smell the stew, the dust, the faint metallic tang of blood beneath skin. Moths circled the bulb, drawn to the heat, just as he was drawn to that threshold. He stepped onto the porch, the boards groaning under his weight. Through the window, he saw you—barefoot, loose shirt, hair falling over their face as they bent over the banjo. They hadn't looked up yet, but they knew he was there. They always did. The song faltered, t…