The Intervention

My room was dark as I lay there under my winter blanket, sleeping. A sudden burst of icy air woke me and I sat up quickly. I turned to find that my window was open. Quickly I searched the darkness in my room for some sort of hit as to what just happened. My lamp flicked on and an amazingly gorgeous man with long black hair, pale cold skin, and crimson eyes stared back at me. He wore a black turtleneck, the sleeves a bit too long and a pair of black slacks. On his freakishly tall frame it looked adorable. “…Fuck the what?” I asked.1

“It’s me, Stephen, and guess what! I brought some friends!” Stephen said glancing to his left. Out of the darkness stepped a pretty blonde with green eyes. She sported a jean skirt with a pink tank and a tight-fitting hoody with Abercrombie scribbled across the front. What the fuck?! She looked like Sarah Biggens! “Sara?” I asked.2

“Yes…YOU KILLED MY SAMMI! How on earth am I supposed to find someone like her?” She asked with a grim look, stepping forward with a bat, “Huh? HUH?!”3

“HEY! I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING THAT, JEEZ!” Stephen said, grabbing Sarah by the waist and pulling her back. He pulled the bat from Sarah’s hands and threw it out the window.4

Sarah calmed herself and fixed her skirt. “Ahem, sorry, still a little broken up.” She said, staring at her shoes.5

“Ooookaaay…so…what the heck is going on here?” I said.6

“Well, we’re here because you need to stop-” Sarah began, only to be interrupted by Stephen.7

“Shut up! She’s not supposed to know that until I bring out oldie over there!” 8

I rested a small hand on the messy pile of hair atop my head. My eyes widened as I realized there was a hot guy in my room and I was in my Snickers jersey and a pair of blue shorts. My hair must’ve looked like crap. I threw the blanked over my head and closed my eyes tightly. I knew that punch from yesterday had a weird taste, I thought. “You can’t stay under there forever,” I heard Stephen’s muffled voice say.9

“The hell I can’t!” I replied.10

“You’ll die!” Sarah chimed in.11

Okay, this was a dream, I mean, it had to be. Someone slipped something in my drink last night, and now I was having a breakdown. It was perfectly reasonable. Suddenly, my blanket was pulled forcefully from my body, allowing unforgiving winter air to pull the warmth right from by body. “Whoa! Hey!” I said, jumping from astonishment. I got off of my bed and ran to my light switch, stumbling to flick it on. Finally my hand found the switch and bright light melted into the room.12

Stephen hissed and fell backward onto my nightstand, causing my Asian tea seat to fall from the top and Sarah covered her eyes. “Oh my God, turn it off!” Sarah groaned, running to meet me next to the light switch. She flicked it off and backed away once more. 13

Before I could turn it on again, I felt an ice cold hand grab me from the switch. It pulled me away by my waist and held me there for a moment. “Calm down! We’re not here to hurt you, we’re just here to help, okay?” I heard Stephen’s voice whisper. I calmed down with a bit of spite. Stupid vampires and their ways with words, I thought. “Now take a seat on your bed. Your hair looks fine,” Stephen said, warily loosening his grip on me.14

I did as I was told. I could tell by Sarah’s face that she was satisfied with the way Stephen handled me. She looked at me and stuck her tongue out. I was about ready to throw her out of the window…by her tongue. That would’ve kept it in her mouth. Stephen grabbed her pink tongue and glared at her. A satisfied smiled found its way upon my lips. I liked the way Stephen handled her too. He let go and she crossed her arms over her chest. “If looks could kill, gosh,” She said, pushing a blond lock of hair from her face.15

“Now, we’ve brought a friend with us,” Stephen said, pointing to the shadows once more as if to formally introduce the person coming out. I slid to the end of my bed. I had no idea what was going to happen next. My back hit the purple net canopy that was tied neatly to my ceiling and fell to the floor. I didn’t move again for fear that the canopy would fall like hit had several times before.16

Out of the darkness stepped an old man. He looked at Stephen and smiled, that smile took a good seven years from his age. He looked so nice. For some strange reason or another, I felt connected to this old man, as if he were my grandfather. “I was wonderin’ when I’d make my entrance,” the old man said.17

Stephen smiled and nodded. Sarah glared at Stephen. “So you could bring him back to life but not Sam? Figures,” She said, rolling her eyes. She looked at the old man and smiled. I knew she felt a connection to him as well, no matter how bad ass she tried to make herself seem.18

“And I appreciate that, young man,” The old man said, nodding in Stephen’s direction. He then looked at me and began limping in my direction. Arthritis. “Do you know who I am, young lady?” The old man said politely. I felt as though I could trust him, so I moved toward the edge of my bed and rested my feet on the carpet.19

“Paul? Paul Newman, right?” I said, nodding.20

Paul nodded with a smile. “Do you mind if a take a seat?” He asked, politely. 21

“Huh? Oh, no, your Arthritis, right?” 22

He laughed and nodded. “Yeah, these old bones don’t work like they used to,” He said.23

“Yeah, sorry about that,” I said. I always kept a fold out chair next to my nightstand…I don’t know why, it was just always there. I found it in the darkness and unfolded it. I placed it behind Mr. Newman and sat on my bed across from him. “Now that we’re all settled in,” Stephen said, glancing at Paul with a smile, “Let’s talk.”24

“This is an intervention,” Sarah said.25

“What? I’m not on drugs! Okay, so someone slipped something in my drink last night, but I’m not addicted!” I exclaimed.26

Paul chuckled first and everyone broke into laughter, except me. “What’s so funny?” I said, offended lightly.27

“No, darling. Your addiction to death in your stories,” Stephen said.28

“What? I do not do that at the end of all my stories, I have no idea what you’re talking about!” I snapped quietly. For a moment, I’d forgotten about my neighbors.29

“Really? What about Sam? And Paulie, here?” Sarah said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning on her hip.30

“So? Those are only two stories.”31

“But what about ‘Remember Me…Not as a Murderer?’ The cop committed suicide there,” Paul added.32

“Well, so?! That’s only three stories, I have 22 on there!” I snapped.33

“’Satisfied?’” Sarah added. I remembered the young female I’d caused the vampire to kill.34

“’Shadowed Stranger’?” he added. I remembered the words I used to put Vera’s soul at peace.35

“’Psycho?’” Sarah added?36

“’Winter’s Blood’?” Stephen added.37

“Well technically, she didn’t die in there,” I pointed out.38

“She was going to,” Stephen countered. I went silent again.39

“’Four Stages’, that was all about death,” Paul said.40

“Those are all old!” I exclaimed.41

Stephen raised a brow. “’She Was Just So Tired?’” Sarah said.42

“’Dog Days?’” Paul added.43

“Alright, jeez! I get it…Wait. Why are you here Stephen? No one died in your story!” I said, smiling as if I’d made a point.44

“No, no one died, but you put me in a predicament where I had to KILL someone. Thus, someone would’ve died,” Stephen said, with a smirk. Okay, so his counter statement was credible. I went silent.45

“Look, you have to stop doing that,” Sarah began, walking around Paul and sitting next to me. She grabbed my hand and petted it, “Okay, granny? I mean, Sam could’ve lived, even the people in the comment box agreed.”46

“Granny?”47

“Oh, yes, you’re our mother! I mean, you did create us; many of us didn’t have a mother in the story. Except for Sarah, but you created her mom; thus, you are her grandmother,” Stephen said as-a-matter-of-factly.48

“Aw, damn, really?” I groaned, so I had no chance with Stephen. That would’ve been the worst kind of incest.49

“I’m afraid so,” Paul said with a nod, grabbing my other hand and rubbing it as well.50

“Well, it’s not ALL of my stories include death!” I said.51

“Oh nooo, just a majority of them is all,” Stephen said painfully sarcastically.52

I pulled my hand from Sarah and pointed at him. “You shut the fuck up! I do not…have… an addiction,” I said, with a sharp glare.53

“That’s good,” Sarah said, grabbing my hand once more and rubbing it, “See, denial is the first step.”54

“At least, that’s what the Dr. Hawthorne says,” Paul said.55

“Yeah,” Stephen said with a nod, “And he’s a psychiatrist, so he has to be right.”56

“Yeah,” Paul joined the conversation, “He’s a nice man.”57

“He is. Cute too, for a guy,” Sarah added, “I remember going to his office as soon as mom made the story and he helped me get over Sam. Like, he told me about boxing and writing, it’s really helping so far.”58

Paul and Stephen nodded in agreement. I cleared my throat loudly and they all looked back at me. “Alright, jeez. If you want this intervention about you addiction to death to be all about YOU,” Sarah said, rolling her eyes.59

Everyone just looked at her. “…What?” We all said simultaneously.60

“What?” Sarah said with a shrug.61

Stephen just rolled his eyes and shook his head. “The poor soul,” Paul said.62

“Are you guys making fun of me?” Sarah said.63

“No…of course not,” Stephen cooed.64

“Yes,” I interrupted bluntly. Paul chuckled.65

Sarah glared at me. The sound of a door opening caused everyone to freeze. “WE’RE HOME!” I heard my mom yell. Sarah’s eyes grew wide and Stephen ran to help Paul out of his chair.66

“We’re not through with you,” Sarah said before climbing out the window. She bent out of sight and I helped Stephen pull Paul from the chair. Eventually, we got him and helped him out of the window. Stephen got out of the window and he was so tall his head was still in full view when he touched the ground.67

H e leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I wanted to melt, despite how freezing cold he was. “We will not give up on you, mom,” He said, stepping out of view.68

I then saw Sarah with her bat. “Even if we have to beat you,” She said.69

“Don’t scare the poor thing out of her knickers,” Paul said, He stood on his tip toes and kissed me on my forehead. “We love you, mom.”70

Stephen and Sarah grabbed both of Paul’s arms and placed them on their shoulders. They waved at me and off they went. Suddenly my door opened and my light flicked on. “Why is your window open? Are you crazy?” my mom said.71

“Um…is that a trick question?” I asked, remembering the events just moments ago.72

“Smart ass,” my mom said, walking into my room. She looked out the window. “What were you looking at?”73

“I don’t even know.”74

Mom laughed. “You’re weird,” She said.75

“You don’t even know.”76

Mom laughed again and closed my window. “How was dad’s show?” I asked.77

“It was crazy!” Moms said. “How was your night? We’ll swap stories.”78

“I had the CRAZIEST DREAM!”79