Erin walked the streets aimlessly. He had drunk ten rats dry and still felt hungry. But, he didn’t have a choice. He could only go out during the day while his stomach was full of blood.

His job, as a waiter at a nice diner, had been enough to pay the bills and put food on the table. Then, that moldy brained dickhead Alister had turned him into a vampire accidentally.

 The man had told him which myths about the species were true and which were false, left him a bottle of blood that had been enough for Erin to go and check himself in the hospital, and fucked off.

Erin, later found, that checking himself in the hospital had been a bad idea. He didn’t have a pulse anymore, and he craved blood. He got wind from one of the nurses talking before his door that he would be sent to a government agency, and he had run as soon as he managed to get in the clear.

That had been a month ago. He had enough sense to get all his savings out of his bank account and skipped town. Now, he was living by the sewers and eating rats.

He supposed it was a good thing he no longer needed to eat, since he needed his money for emergencies and for blood. A vampire had caught him on his turf and had taken pity on him.

Alek had hooked Erin with a nice deal with the hospital to get blood. But, hospitals were better vampires than Erin. In two weeks, his savings were over with. Therefore, he ended up on a strict rat diet.

Erin had tried to get a pigeon, once, but the darn thing had flown away. Only to return with company and bombard him with poop from a safe distance. That was about the time Erin decided that pigeons were pure evil and didn’t deserve the corn and bread people gave them.

He had long since disposed of his poop covered clothes and managed to get a bath at the community bath house. He was beginning to smell again. The problem was that he only had a dollar left. And the bath house charged five for an hour.

Which was a daylight robbery. They didn’t even have baths in there, just shower cabins. And, it wasn’t guaranteed that there could be hot water each time. Still, they had soap in there and shampoo. Plus, towels and hair dryers.

Erin lamented on his fate. To consider something so basic a luxury he could only afford to have once a week was something that made him feel like the lowest of the low.

He was trying to find a new job, but, he didn’t have a phone or a place to stay. People thought that he was either an escaped convict or a runaway. It didn’t help that Erin was young looking, a result of having been malnourished during his childhood courtesy of his deadbeat father wanting to drink both his and Erin’s mother’s paychecks away.

 Some people didn’t believe that he was twenty-five. And, since he couldn’t show any papers since someone could be looking for him, he couldn’t even prove his age. 

All the novels and movies that depicted vampires as super rich were complete bullshit, in Erin’s opinion. Why hadn’t Alister left him a couple of millions instead of that blood bottle? Because Alister looked to be dressing from charity stores himself, that’s why!

Erin kicked a pebble into a door and winced. It was a shop of some sort. There, on the window, was a job offer. Sure, he was late by about five days to apply, but, if it was still up, surely the owner hadn’t found anyone, right?

He straightened his clothes and entered. The place had a bell, so, he guessed, it was pretty old-fashioned. Then, Erin’s stomach dropped. There, behind the counter, was a young man. Too young to be the owner.

He was just about to turn back and leave, when the teenager smiled and waved at him. Erin decided that he could check the place out. At least inside was warm.

He made his way to the counter and cleared his throat.

“I am here for the job offer,” he said, voice wavering. The teenager’s eyes traveled over Erin’s dirty clothes, and there was understanding in them. And a bit of pity.

“I am sorry, but I already filled up the position. Would you like to browse instead?” A month ago, if someone had come to Erin and told him he would try to use someone’s pity for him to get what he wants, he would have punched the busybody.

But now, when he didn’t even have enough money for his weekly shower. When he had to live off rats. Well, he’d agree with the busybody, but would still punch them in the nose. Out of principle.

“I really need the job. My house burned down,” Erin saw the teenager hesitate. Obviously, he must have parents to look after him. Now, Erin really wanted to have some superpowers of persuasion. Then he could convince the kid to quit his job and convince the shop owner to give it to him. And then a unicorn and would poop out some cotton candy for Erin to eat. In rainbow colors.

“You have no place to stay, sir?” Asked the teenager, worrying his bottom lip. Erin nodded.

“I also require this job, so, there is nothing I can do on that front,” Erin nodded. The kid had a good head on his shoulders. And, for all Erin knew, maybe his situation was like what Erin had been through. “But I rent an apartment three streets from here. I can let you stay on the couch. It is not much, but it is warm, and I always have warm water in the bathroom.”

Which sounded like Heaven to Erin. He smiled and nodded.

“Thank you. My name is Erin Hudson. And you are?”

“Andrew Jackson. I can’t leave my spot, seeing as I am on the clock. Why don't you swing by eight? I close shop then,” Erin nodded. It would be a couple of more hours in the cold, the shopping mall’s security didn’t let him in anymore when they figured out he was just there for the heating, but he could rough it up. And, have a warm place to stay to look forward to.