Chapter Text
Charley woke up in a cold sweat. It was a humid Saturday afternoon, the sun's rays peeking through the blinds of his window. He hadn't been in any hurry to get up in the morning since everything went down. He didn't feel any eagerness to jump into another day. He slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position, his eyes struggling to open against the brightness outside. He became more aware as a knock lightly hit his bedroom door.
"Charley? Are you up sweetie?" Judy asked from the other side.
He got up from bed and opened the door to greet her. She jumped right in for a big hug. Charley was slightly startled, but quickly accepted the embrace.
"I would've come by sooner but I didn't wanna disturb your beauty sleep." She chuckled.
"Doesn't bother me." He replied dryly.
Judy noticed his lack of enthusiasm, backpedaling from her earlier light hearted banter. "How are you holding up?"
"I'll be alright, mom." He tried his best to reassure her, but he didn't fully believe his own claim.
"I'm starting to cook up some dinner, I'll let you know when it's all done." She smiled, making her way back downstairs.
It had been a rough few weeks. While initially that night brought Amy and Charley closer together, it wasn't long before they were back to common arguments and tension amongst each other. Eventually, they broke up. Amy made the decision. They agreed they would both appreciate their time together, but it just wasn't working out. They'd talk on occasion, but Charley still felt a strong sense of loneliness. Must've been how Ed felt. Not so long ago, the two were insufferable. They'd hang out about every opportunity they got. But after meeting Amy, distance grew between them. He didn't visit with him much anymore, not like old times. He regretted all the time they spent apart now that he was really gone.
Dinner was quiet, Judy made occasional small talk with her son, but didn't want to pry at the boy too much. He really had been through a lot, more than she could even comprehend. She felt somewhat to blame, not believing her son at first. But to be fair to herself, nobody could have expected a vampire to move in next door. And she knew how torn up he was over the death of his childhood friend. The two used to be so close, she could remember so many times Ed would visit after school. He seemed to spend more time with them than his actual family.
Charley returned to his room afterwards, sitting back down on his bed. He didn't feel especially tired after sleeping most of the day, so he tuned in for some horror movies on his TV. After dealing with real vampires, he'd sometimes gawk at the ridiculous portrayals in some of the movies. He never recalled Jerry being pale as a sheet or wearing a large cape. Real vampires looked like everyone else at first glance. That made them more scary in his opinion. Lost in thought while he watched, it was pitch black outside in what felt like a few minutes. His mother would be out working the nightshift once again, leaving him home alone. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't a bit paranoid. The slightest noises would make him jolt up. He could swear he heard something scurrying outside. Upon further inspection, there was something out there. It was rustling in the bushes.
Charley grabbed his binoculars. It was probably just a raccoon or a stray cat, but he wanted to be sure. A head poked out from the leaves, revealing glowing red eyes. It looked like a wolf. Just like Peter had described! This couldn't be any ordinary wolf with eyes like those. Surely another vampire was on the loose! The wolf lifted its head, making direct eye contact with him. A chill went down his spine. The red glow soon faded as the wolf went back into the bush. With another rustle it ran out and off into the night. What was he gonna do? Everyone could be in danger again. Jerry probably had connections to more vampires and they're here for revenge! Panic buzzed through Charley's head. Maybe he should call- no. He felt terrible for what he had subjected everyone to. He already lost Ed, and he can't afford to lose anyone else.
"I'll take this vampire myself. Nobody will have to know or worry. I did it once, I'll do it again." He spoke to himself.
He grabbed a wooden cross and makeshift stake he had carved himself. He had kept these items for another emergency, and now was that time. He grabbed a jacket and ran off into the night with a flashlight. A trail of prints led him along, deeper into the woods. Admittedly, Charley knew this wasn't the best way to go about this. It would be very easy for this vampire to lead him to a group waiting for him. He wasn't sure that they'd plan on him coming, being stupid enough to just follow them on his own. Despite his better judgment he continued forth. The wolf's footprints had come to a stop, and he began to look around to see if it was hidden, waiting to strike. To his surprise, nothing of the sort happened. Then he saw it.
From the darkness, the wolf emerged. Its red eyes pierced right into Charley's soul. Seeing it up close, he knew his suspicion was correct. The beast was almost human-like, it certainly wasn't a normal animal. It growled furiously, baring its sharp, jagged teeth. It drew in closer as Charley gripped his cross firmly, holding it in front of himself. The monster helped and stumbled back, revealing itself better in the glow emitting from the flashlight. There seemed to be a sharp chunk of wood sticking through its back. Its face was marked with a cross shaped scar. Almost like how Peter described Ed. Wait. Was it Ed? They thought for sure he was gone, but here he was seemingly before him.
"Ed? Is that you?" Charley stuttered, frozen in place.
The creature's eyes met him once again. It let out a small whine as tears began to run down its face. Charley pointed the bright flashlight away from it. This had to be him. Any other vampire would have attacked him by now. He put his cross into his pocket, and dropped onto his knees to be at a closer level with his friend. Ed's red eyes frantically darted around.
"It's okay Ed, I wanna help. I'm not gonna hurt you." He said calmly, stroking his head. "Do you want that thing outta your back? It looks like it hurts pretty bad." He gently touched the wound, causing Ed to yelp in pain again.
"Sorry! I'll try to make this quick. Here, bite down on this." Charley grabbed his stake and set it down in front of him. Ed reluctantly bit into it.
"I'm gonna count down, try to stay calm." He warned, holding his paw like hand in his palm. "Three… two… one!" He counted, pulling the wood from his back.
Ed let out a muffled screech. Blood ran down his back from the open wound. Charley took off his coat and wrapped it tightly around the injury.
"It's not perfect, but it should work for now. You're coming with me, I have bandages at home we can use." Charley picked up the vampire, slinging him over his shoulder.
When they made it back, he made sure to dim all the lights inside. He set Ed down lightly on his bed and left to get some bandages from the bathroom. He couldn't help but feel a bit crazy, willingly bringing a monster right into his home. But he's not, he's his friend. Despite everything, he couldn't just leave him for dead. Maybe that was selfish of him in a way. Keeping him around to make up for his mistakes. Maybe he should've killed him and put him out of his misery. No, he couldn't do that now. He needs to stick with him, he's the only person Ed has now.