Work Text:
“We didn't give up, we wouldn't dare surrender
It was an honest loss
Now the aftermath will ring with songs you've sung
All of our words sent home in boxes
I fought with tooth and nail before the flag had flown
But you were already gone
I'll swear that I loved you
I'll swear that I loved you
I'll swear that I loved you
I swear, I swear”
✧━═════⋆⊱🌲⊰⋆═════━✧
Legundo had lied when he said that Martyn wouldn’t feel anything. Martyn felt all of it. The blood draining from his body, the fangs piercing into him and infiltrating his veins, and worst of all - the feeling of becoming a vampire.
Ever since Martyn had learnt that vampires were actually real, he had developed a natural hatred towards them. Mere obstacles stopping him from achieving his goal. Which is why it makes it more unusual that he is willingly being turned into one, maybe he had given up hope of leaving Oakhurst the same way he entered.
So, when the vampires proposed a deal, he took it. Ren was cautious, for good reason too, but seeing how everyone else had went along with it - he complied.
Ren had looked away when Martyn was being turned, out of respect for the most part.
When he looked back, he didn’t notice a difference in Martyn - albeit a bit woozy looking. Maybe a bit of red in his usually blue eyes but other than that… He looked the same. And that scared Ren.
Martyn stabilised himself first before looking over to Ren and giving a nod, signalling him that it was okay.
Ren didn’t trust not one of those vampires, but Martyn? He’d trust with his life. So he let himself get pierced by Legs’s fangs, and he let himself get turned into an undead being, just because of Martyn.
The moment the doctors fangs disconnected from his wrist Ren stumbled backwards, getting caught by both Shelby and Martyn.
This was it.
No going back.
Shelby quickly scrambled back to her place beside Scott, Martyn had noticed the change in her demeanour since she first arrived.
Avids death took a toll on everyone, sure, not everyone liked the dude but it was still a loss nonetheless. His house felt eerily cold ever since the knowledge of his death spread.
That’s why when Pyro and Owen weren’t apart of the huddle of vampires in town, no one questioned it. Just like they hadn’t questioned the smear of blood on Shelby’s fists.
.
“So, this is it?”
Martyn muttered after an elongated silence, he looked around at the other vampires, some were itching to leave while others had secretly grown an attachment to this strange town.
“Not yet.”
Scott replied, exhaling a breath he had been holding.
“One last beacon.”
.
It was a… dreary walk to say the least. For the first time in his life, Martyn was anticipating seeing the beacon turn a beautiful blood-red.
Martyn glanced over at Ren who still looked flustered and out of sorts.
“Feels weird, don’t it?”
Martyn whispers to Ren, all the other vampires were either having their own quiet conversations or too weary to eavesdrop.
Ren tiredly glances over to Martyn. It had been a long day, that was clear.
“That’s quite the understatement, Mr. Woodhurst.”
Ren replies, his accent as thick as it was when he first got here.
Good to know Owen essentially lied about his curse being cleared.
“After this beacon, we’ll all be free to leave… Where do you think you’ll go?”
Martyn asks, trying to keep the conversation as casual as possible.
Ren considers the question, looking off to the side as he drowns in his own thoughts.
“Perhaps I’ll live out my days here. There’s enough food and water to keep me going ‘til I’m old.”
Ren finally replies.
“Here?!”
Martyn almost shouts, earning a few startled stares from the other vampires - although they quickly dropped their heads.
“We’ve-”
Martyn sputters.
“We’ve spent our whole time trying to find a way out of this place and you want to stay?”
He managed to lower his volume.
.
.
.
“Maybe I had plans when I remained a human. But now, Mr. Woodhurst, I think here is the best place for me.”
Ren said, unfazed by Martyn’s reaction.
“Fine. Then I’m staying too.”
Martyn sighs, to Ren’s immediate confusion.
“No, Mr. Woodhurst… You have a life to get back to, doncha’ know.”
Ren combats, his eyebrows furrowing as he tries to get behind Martyn’s logic.
.
“It’s like you said, specs. No place left for us.”
Weirdly enough, there was traces of excitement in his voice.
Ren was about to bombard Martyn with reasons upon reasons about why this was a bad idea but Pearl spoke up from a few feet away.
“Me and Cleo are also staying here. If it helps change your mind.”
She shrugs, looking between the two warily.
Martyn and Ren lock eyes.
✧━═════⋆⊱⚜️⊰⋆═════━✧
Ren looked out of his window - the one overlooking Oakhurst - and if it wasn’t a ghost town before, it definitely was now.
It was dead empty apart from the occasional sound of footsteps, that he can only assume are Pearl, Cleo, and Martyn.
Everyone else apart from the four had already left, fled Oakhurst and pursued their life someplace else. He couldn’t help but wonder what each of them would do now that they were no longer human.
Would they be able to face their families the same way?
Not that it mattered, they had vowed to never see each other again unless worse came to worst, minus the four staying in Oakhurst of course.
By the time Ren had finished his perturbing thoughts, the window was already fogged up. That meant he could only see a muddle of earthy browns and the overwhelmingly positive orange glow of the sun through it.
He sighs, his hand brushing through his hair as the sun’s glow pools into his house. He stood where it couldn’t reach him.
Then, there was a knock at the door.
It was gentle, hesitant more-like, as if the door was made of glass.
“Come in.”
Ren lazily shouts, rubbing his eyes as he moves to greet the person at the door.
The door easily unlocks with a small click and there stands Martyn, the sun was rising directly behind him. Symbolic, really.
The door being open meant that the orange hue it emitted effected both Ren and Martyn.
“Would you like to come in, Mr. Woodhurst?”
Ren asks, an unexplainably natural smile forming on his face.
“Yeah, specs. I think that’d be nice.”