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“Who wouldn’t?” He sips the drink and I notice his hand shaking. “It’s the hottest invitation in town.”
“Why?” He starts to remove his mask, but I stop him. “No. Keep it on please.”
His hand drops. “Why is it the hottest invitation?”
“Yes.”
“Uh, well, until you most of us have never been to a masquerade ball. A lot of people really like what you’re doing to help improve Neubrook too.”
“And you? Are you one of those people?”
He frowns, taking a step back from me, but I take a step forward, slowly backing him into the corner.
“Uh, well, I’m kind of a wait and see guy, to be honest. Some of it’s really good, but maybe it’ll be too good and it’ll get crowded and basic like Clearbrook.”
“A valid concern, though I’m very cautious about who and what I allow here.”
Dale just nods, still nervously watching me. I take another step towards him, noticing how his body stiffens.
“I’ll tell you why I invited you, Dale.” I swirl my glass of champagne. “I suppose I was curious about what kind of man you grew up to be.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“What I mean is…” I step closer still, but he doesn’t move, obviously too stunned to. “Are you still a coward? Do you still look the other way from someone in need? Do you still lie when the truth could have done so much to help?”
“Listen, Michel—”
“No, Dale. You listen. I don’t have to tell you what kind of abuse I suffered in high school because you were present for most of it. Just standing idly by while I was abused, assaulted, and humiliated.”
“I was just a kid, Michel.”
“We were all kids, Dale. You just didn’t care. You didn’t want to stand up to Garrett and his cronies. You didn’t want to side with the unpopular kid. You wanted to be cool so you looked away. You let it happen.”
“What are you gonna do to me?”
Tilting my head, I listen to his racing heartbeat, the blood rushing through his veins, the hint of sweat in the air, the stale scent of alcohol leaking from his pores. “What should I do, Dale? What would be fair?”
“Um…” I can hear him swallow hard, his eyes searching the ground for a solution that will never come. “Do you want me to apologize? Like, um, publicly or something?”
“Hmm, that’s a nice suggestion. I don’t think that will do it for me though.” I set my champagne glass down and walk forward until he’s pressed against the wall behind him. “You see, apologies really mean nothing. They don’t fix what happened, do they, Dale?”
He flinches. “No.”
“No.” Reaching forward, I grip his neck and squeeze gently, tilting his head back. “You know what they say about silence, Dale? Silence is complicit. You were just as much a bully as they were, because you. Did. Nothing.”
“You can’t kill me. People will notice I’m gone.”
“Who? Your ex-wives who probably never want to see your face again? The bars where you overstay your welcome and start fights with regulars? Your landlord who’s tired of your excuses for being late? The children you never see who have a wonderful stepfather?”
His eyes widen behind his mask. “How…” The glass he’s holding falls to the ground, smashing into bits. “How do you know my life?”
“It isn’t that difficult.” I open my mouth to free my fangs, smiling as the dull ache in my gums gives way to anticipation. “Now, Dale, say goodbye.”
“D-dude. What the fuck?”
Running my thumb along the throbbing jugular vein in his neck, I lean in close. “I’m a vampire, Dale.”
Then I bite, sinking my teeth into his flesh. His blood flows thicker than many, slightly bitter from all the alcohol he consumes, but this isn’t for pleasure. It’s for revenge.
