Carefree was the first word Evonne used to describe the atmosphere in and around Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Many other words followed, but none were as perfect as he initial description. She blamed the high energy scene on the endless groups of teenagers and college students.
     It was their third night on The Grand Strand; a name that encompassed the towns and beaches stretching from Cape Fear, North Carolina and down to Georgetown, South Carolina. But Evonne and her merry men stayed in the heart of The Grand Strand, where the infectious energies were a welcoming change. While Emery remained Evonne’s sightseeing buddy, Gabriel had no interest in the things that caught their attention.
     On this night, Evonne and Emery chose Ocean Boulevard as their spectacle for the evening. The road ran parallel to the ocean and was surrounded by shops on either side. Tourists filled the sidewalks as they chose this string of shops and attractions to end their day of fun. One place along the strip caught Emery’s attention.
     The building looked like a dilapidated factory. On the second floor walkway. A group of tourists ran screaming from a chainsaw-welding madman.
     “Ripley’s Haunted House,” the flashy sign read.
     Emery squealed like an excited child. “Oh! We have to go in there!”
     Evonne looked at the chaotic scene in front of the building. “It’s kind of crowded.”
     “Come on,” he said. “I’ll pay your way.”
     “I think I’ll skip it. I’m not much for the whole horror scene.”
     He stared at her, mouth agape. “You’re joking, right?”
     “What can I say? I feel asleep watching ‘Night of the Living Dead.’ ”
     “George A. Romero? Are you serious? How can you sleep through such a masterpiece? Damn. I hope the next thing you tell me is that you suffer from narcolepsy.”
     Gabriel spoke up from behind them. “I enjoyed that film.”
     Emery shot him an odd look. “Let me guess. It’s more fiction than fact?”
     “Ever kill a zombie before?”
     He shrugged. “No.”
     “It’s a lot like the movies… for a change.”
     In front of the Ripley’s Haunted House, a human dressed as a rotting corpse began speaking to the crowd like a traveling salesman, enticing them to enter the House.
     Emery grabbed Evonne’s hand. “Come on! It will be fun.”
     She locked her legs. “I don’t feel like it.”
     He watched her for a moment. “Oh my God, you’re afraid to go in there!” He began laughing hysterically. “The Mighty Miss Ingram is afraid of a haunted house!”
     Evonne rolled her eyes. “Look, it’s not that I’m afraid, it’s that… I don’t like things jumping out at me.”
     Calming down, Emery replied, “That’s called ‘being afraid,’ Miss Scaredy-cat. All right, if you don’t want to go, I won’t make you. Where do you want to go instead?”
     She looked around and spotted a strange sign. “What’s the Gay Dolphin?”
     The name caused Emery to begin laughing again. “I can think of a hundred things it’s not.”
     Still holding Emery’s hand, Evonne headed for the large shop with a lighthouse on the top. Gabriel took his time following them.
     Inside, the place was filled with souvenirs and shoppers. The three made their way into the shop, glancing over the variety of items they walked past. Evonne released Emery’s hand as she spotted an area of necklaces and other jewelry. She browsed through the collection, noticing a nautical theme with most of the pieces. She then heard Emery trying to get her attention. Looking up, she saw him near a jewelry stand, holding up two large, white shark tooth necklaces like fangs, and making a hissing sound. He stopped abruptly as he saw Gabriel walking up to them.
     “I’ll wait for you two on the boardwalk,” he said.
     Evonne watched him head for the exit, toward the beach side of the store. “I think we’re boring him.”
     “I don’t think he likes crowds,” Emery remarked as he placed the two necklaces back. “We should get him a gift.”
     “Good luck with that.”
     Emery’s eyes lit up as he spotted a pirate themed items. Looking them over, he shook his head at the idea. “Might remind him of the real pirate days.” He spoke to Evonne. “Was he here during the golden age of pirates?”
     She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
     Emery went to reply but something else caught his attention. “This is perfect!” He held up a white shirt that read “Sun Fun Festival” and had an abstract image of the sun. He flashed a sneaky grin. “I bet you two-hundred dollars that I can get him to wear this.”
     “Oh, Sun Fun!” a woman said as she saw the shirt. She walked up to them, her cheery disposition intoxicating everyone around. “Will you be going this year? There will be plenty of all day activities and some high profile guests. It starts the first weekend in June. It a very fun time from locals and tourists.”
     Emery looked startled by the woman. “Um, probably not. I work all day. No time for fun or sun.”
     “You’re not from around here, are you?” she asked.
     “Just visiting for a while.”
     “We’re helping a friend move,” Evonne added.
     The woman smiled. “Well then, if you ever have the time, check out the festivities. There’s a website loaded with information on the events. Ya’ll have a nice visit, okay?” With another smile, she walked off, closing in on another group of tourists.
     Emery held up the shirt again. “Now that I was forced to hear all of that, I’m definitely buying him the shirt.” He draped it over his shoulder. “You up for a friendly bet?”
     Evonne continued to look at the necklaces. “Sorry. No money.”
     Thinking quick, he stepped closer to her. “All right. Let’s see… You’re prude, right?”
     “Prude?” she repeated, flustered at the term. “What do you mean by that?”
     “That you don’t like to talk about the fun things in life, or like to throw caution to the wind. That you’re closed minded as well as closed legged.”
     She glanced around to see if anyone could hear them. “It’s not being prude, it’s called having self-respect.”
     “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. But back to the bet. If I can get Gabriel to wear this shirt, you have to show me your girls.” His eyes dropped down to her chest. “Nothing too extravagant. Just a little boobage.”
     “Uh, no.” She turned to walk away.
     Emery stopped her. “Okay. Too soon for that one. No boobaloos. Well, how about a kiss—open mouth, a little tongue.”
     “Wait a minute. Why am I worried? I know he won’t wear it.” She crossed her arms. “What do I get if I win?”
     “Hmm. There’s always dinner at the ‘Y’.”
     “What?”
     He laughed. “So you’re naive, as well. It’s like kissing, but elsewhere.” His eyes dropped further on her this time.
     “Oh… Oh! No! Is that all you think about?”
     “See! Prude! I’m gonna love crackin’ that shell of yours.”
     Evonne thought fast. “If I win, you have to… you have to drink a gallon of milk.”
     “What? No. Hell no!”
     She smiled. “That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”
     Defeated, he sighed. “You’re killing me, you know that?” He extended his hand. “All right, it’s a deal.”
     Evonne shook his hand.

Outside, they found Gabriel waiting by the railing. Emery called out as they approached.
     “I got you a souvenir.” He retrieved the shirt from the bag and held it up for him to see. “I’ll pay you three-hundred dollars to at least try it on.”
     Gabriel looked at the shirt and began walking away. Emery chased after him.
     “Five-hundred dollars! It’s the easiest money you will ever make.”
     “I’m sorry,” he said, still walking, “but you’re going to lose this bet.”
     Stopping in his tracks, Emery removed the other items from the bag before throwing it in the trash. He pocketed the mini bottle filled with sand and shells, while handing the necklace to Evonne. Quickly, she pulled it over her head, adjusting the shell to hang in the front.
     Heading down the stairs, the three walked along the beach, the bright lights from the boardwalk fading as they neared the ocean.
     “Come on,” Emery pressed, “it’s just an innocent shirt. And it’s dark. No one will see you.”
     “I’m not wearing it,” said Gabriel, unmoved by the young vampire’s tenacity.
     “All right. So where to now?”
     Evonne answered, smiling. “The grocery store, to buy you that gallon of milk.”
     “I haven’t been defeated yet,” Emery proudly stated.
     Gabriel remained steadfast. “Yes, you have.”
     The salty air filled Evonne’s lungs as she took in a deep breath. She couldn’t get enough of the unique scent. The air even caused her hair and skin to feel sticky.
     Along the beach, the lights from the numerous hotels outlined the curve of the coastline, showing it’s concave shape. Evonne’s sharp eyes picked up the sporadic flashes of small fireworks miles away. They weren’t the grand showstoppers set off by professionals, but small, store bought fireworks set off by tourists.
     Other people walked on the beach, some with flashlights, though it was far less crowded than the street.
     Evonne spotted a pile of discarded clothes.
     “Skinny-dippers,” said Emery, nodding at the ocean. “Want to go in?”
     “Without a swimsuit? No thanks.” Evonne glanced beyond the surf, spotting the two swimmers. Though concealed by the darkness from others, the three on the beach could see them easily.
     Emery’s eyes wandered elsewhere as he saw a woman looking for something with her flashlight. Evonne thought she was looking for shells, but Emery caught sight of what she really searched for. He handed the shirt to Gabriel.
     “Hold onto this for me,” he said, running after the woman. Before reaching her, he picked up the cell phone she had dropped.
     Evonne watched them as they began talking, and soon walking up the beach, toward the hotels.
     “Should we wait for him?” she asked.
     Gabriel kept walking. “He’ll catch up.”
     “What about us?”
     “You said you weren’t hungry.”
     Evonne felt her body ache at the thought of another night without blood. “That was last night,” she reminded. Saros’ blood kept her hunger at bay for the first couple of nights, but her body slowly returned to its normal need for blood.
     “The beach is too public,” said Gabriel, “even at night. This is a busy place and hunting here is very tricky.”
     “But Emery…”
     “Hasn’t touched her yet and won’t do so until he is someplace where he feels safe.”
     She looked at the surf and muttered, “I can go another night.”
     “If you wish.”
     As they continued to walk over the soft sand, Evonne questioned her decision to go another night without feeding. The more she thought about it, the hungrier she became. It was a bad idea to even think she could go another night.
     Evonne changed her mind. She wanted to hunt. As she turned to tell Gabriel she found him gone. Frantically, she looked around. He was no where to be seen. She mentally scolded herself. Both of her companions were off hunting while she passed human after human, all off limits. Europe offered much more easier hunting than this place. But while on American soil, she was on her father’s hunting grounds. They had to practice scrutiny when searching for blood.
     Evonne continued walking, her eyes drifting to the ocean. Now that she was alone, the thought of swimming reentered her mind. Sharks, she thought, an attempt to discourage herself from taking the plunge. Spending an immortal life without an arm or a leg didn’t sit well with her. But the thought of swimming crept back into the forefront. With each passing minute, she teased herself the idea.
     Looking at the ocean one last time, Evonne began to remove her clothes, her eyes darting around for any curious onlookers. She undressed to her undergarments and headed for the water. In a rush, the wave broke before her, the warm water covering her legs. Evonne moved deeper into the breaking waves. With human instincts still in play, she held her breath and dove into the water. Moments later she emerged beyond the breakers, her feet barely touching the sandy bottom. A surge of fear found her as the thought of sharks resurfaced. But the peacefulness of the rolling water soothed away everything.
     Evonne floated within the rise and fall of the waves. Her eyes searched the beach and found her clothes sitting further away than she remembered. The current was pulling her south. As she began swimming parallel to the shore, her eyes spotted something odd. A human stumbled through the sand. The girl, dressed in dark clothing, looked to be drunk. She reached the water and continued walking, the breaking waves causing her to fall.
     Evonne lost sight of her. Debating on what to do, she began swimming to where she last saw her. She felt the heat of the girl’s body brush against her. She dove under the water, her hands grabbing the first thing she could feel. Moving fast, she pulled at the girl’s clothing before finding a better grip on her arm. She began dragging her from the water and onto the sand.
     The girl lay on the beach with Evonne sitting beside her. She didn’t know what to do. She then smelt the blood. Checking the girl’s body for any injuries, she found the savage bite on her neck. At first she thought it was the work of a werewolf, but the top edge of the bite told a different story. Two puncture marks sat above the gaping wound, a common bite used to anchor the mouth to the neck. Evonne placed her hand to the girl’s forehead. Her body’s heat was leaving her fast. But there was something else different about her.
     “Was she trying to kill herself?” she heard Emery say. He moved to the other side and kneeled beside the girl.
     “It looked like she was,” Evonne said. She knew this wasn’t the work of Emery or Gabriel. They wouldn’t be this messy. “What do we do?”
     Emery checked her body, seeing the bite, as well. The girl began to shudder, as though she were surrounded in ice.
     “We leave her,” they heard Gabriel say.
     Evonne and Emery looked up to see him standing near them, neither one noticing him approach. For a fleeting moment, Evonne wonder how they were able to reach her so soon after pulling the girl on shore. Were they watching me swim?
     The girl’s shuddering increased.
     “We can’t leave her,” said Evonne, her hand returning to the girl’s forehead, brushing back her dark hair.
     Emery sensed what was truly happening and stood up. “Yes we can.”
     “She’s not our concern,” Gabriel told Evonne. He looked around. “We have to go.”
     Evonne stared at him. “I’m not leaving her.”
     Growing antsy, Emery lowered his voice as he spoke to Gabriel. “You know we can’t get involved.”
     A quick conflict brewed within Gabriel. This was something they needed to avoid, but Evonne’s stubborn nature shattered his better judgment. Nodding at the girl, he ordered, “Emery, gather her up. She’s coming with us.”