Moving in

I watch as they ride away from the boardwalk, then head to my blazer. I still need to unload my stuff again. I let Sirius and Regulus back into the blazer before taking off to the house. Unloading my stuff took less time because I knew where I wanted everything. The TV was last to be brought inside. I rolled the tool cart over to my blazer and leaned over to slide the TV onto it. I stopped when I got the feeling someone was watching me.

I stood up straight and looked out to the driveway but didn't see anything or anyone. Knowing the boys as I do, they're probably hiding so they could watch me. I shrug my shoulders, slide the TV onto the cart, and wheel it into the house. Then carefully slid it up the stairs. I made a mental note to head to the hardware store in the morning so I can mount the TV. I went back downstairs to put the tool cart away and close the garage.

Once the garage was closed, I locked all the doors, turned off the lights, and headed upstairs to change into PJs. I picked out a pink crop top with boy shorts to put on after I take a shower. After I got out of the shower and got dressed, I dried my hair with a towel as I was leaving the bathroom. I notice my pups are not in my bedroom. I found them sitting by the back door waiting to go outside, "Alright." I let them out to do their thing.

While I was standing at the door watching my pups, I saw one of the bigger trees swaying like it would on a windy day. But there was no wind blowing at that moment. I couldn't see anything in the tree, but I knew better. I called for Sirius and Regulus to hurry up so I could make their dinner. Both my pups came to me and we went inside. As I was closing the door I heard all four of them laugh, they were toying with me like I was a victim before attacking.

I closed and locked the door, 'like that would stop them.' Laughing to myself, I unpack the meat and split it into their bowls. I shake my head at Sirius' table manners, "Dude, you eat any faster and you'll puke. Slow down." He did slow down after Regulus yelped at him. I cleaned their bowls and we headed upstairs to bed.

Thinking about how I'm going to fix the timeline this time, my eyes grew heavy. Falling deeper into sleep, not knowing the boys had left to go feed. Paul lingered behind a little longer wanting to talk to me and figure out what happened, however, Marko called for him to hurry and catch up.

Shopping

Shopping for the supplies to mount my TV, put up black-out curtains, and the butcher shop went about the same as the first time. I got stared at more this time though. I had worn the same outfit, same makeup, but my hair was in a messy bun and all the colors could be seen. My dog tags jingle as I walk through the aisles of the grocery store, and my shirt would rise when I reached up to a higher shelf.

While in the grocery store I made sure to stock up on various snacks, candies, and all-around junk food. The butcher had given me extra meat and a few bones when he saw my pups staring at him through the storefront windows. I could see the dribble falling from Sirius' mouth as he looked inside the shop. I even bought a BBQ grill for the nights I felt like cooking outside. If I'm going to be stuck in this dimension, I might as well feel more at home.

Once the shopping was done and lunch was served, I worked on mounting the TV. It was definitely easier this time but I still struggled with setting the TV on the mount. Then I hooked everything up to complete my set-up. Just like last time, I tested the sound system. I scrolled through my music library for a bit before I found a good song.

Finally, I chose "Ghosts 'n' Stuff'' by deadmau5. I walked through the house, listening to the song, I can hear it clearly in every room. The volume is at 30 at this moment, if I turn it up to 50 the neighbors would probably hear it. Maybe later I'll blast something to get their attention but not loud enough to have the cops called. We'll see.

Burying My Toes

Heading to the boardwalk with my pups since the sun has set. I am still wearing the same outfit with a zip-up hoodie over it. This is the night Michael is invited to the cave. I have been thinking about introducing myself to Lucy and Grandpa Hughes within the next couple of days. Just to say hello, as well as inform them that I moved in next door. I always liked Grandpa, I just didn't like how he knew about vampires and didn't say anything.

My pups and I left the house after eating a small dinner instead of Chinese. I know I might run into the boys but I'm not pushing it. If they come up to me, I will talk to them but if not, I'll sit and bury my toes in the sand. Of course, I will be far enough away not to be run over by the Lost Boys and Michael when they leave the boardwalk.

From the looks I have gotten since I arrived at the boardwalk, I should have changed. Then I remembered that I don't give a shit about other people's opinions. As antsy as he was to run around, Sirius stayed next to me with Regulus on my other side. Watching the crowd split to avoid my pups brought a smile to my face. It made walking around the boardwalk easier.

I was trying my hardest not to dance or lip-sync to the music playing from my earbuds. "She Wolf: Falling to Pieces" by David Guetta always gets me dancing no matter if I'm in public or not. But there are too many people around, and earbuds shouldn't exist yet. I look over the boardwalk and see Laddie by himself for a moment before Star and Michael caught up to him.

I see Laddie look around, he spots my pups and me. He points at us and talks loudly to Star, "Look, Star. It's those dogs from last night." Star and Michael both see me. I give them a bright smile and wave. I laugh at Michael's half-smile, Star doesn't wave or smile, but Laddie does both. He has a big, goofy smile, and waves his whole arm in hello.

I wave back to Laddie as they kept walking. "Come on. Let's go sit in the sand," I tell my pups. We walk in the direction that Star and Laddie went, but continued walking passed them to go onto the beach. I stop at the bottom of the stairs to take off my shoes and socks. I didn't want to get too much sand in them. I hear the Lost Boys' motorcycles pull up and surround Michael.

I quickly run further onto the beach away from the stairs, my pups sprinted ahead of me. The three of us moved out of the way in time as five bikes rode down the stairs. Watching their bikes get further away, I realize I have no plan this time. So, I think I might just wing it. And so far the timeline has not changed much. Which means I have a couple of nights before the boys get attacked.

Sitting down on the sand away from the bonfires, I dug my toes into the sand, and just watched the waves. I could hear Sirius trying to get Regulus to play. The two of them chase each other up and down the beach without going too far away from me. I had zoned out a bit, not hearing the approaching feet of some drunk guys.

"Hey, pretty lady. What's a pretty, little thing like you doing out here all by yourself?" One of the guys slurred. Two other guys stumbled into each other trying to sit next to me. I roll my eyes, get up and dust the sand off my body. I wasn't going to answer any questions or talk to these guys. I grab my shoes and turn to walk off.

Knocking Heads

The guy that spoke to me grabbed my wrist tightly, "Hey, bitch. I'm talking to you." I ripped myself free of him and started walking towards the boardwalk. I made it two steps before I was stopped again. This time the guy had punched my shoulder with all his weight behind it. He was probably aiming for my head but he's too intoxicated.

The punch to my shoulder lurched my body forward, falling onto my hands and knees. I could hear laughter behind me then beside me as they moved closer. I whistled for my pups. "Who're you whistling for?" This guy must be the leader since he's the only one talking. His answer came in the form of two angry wolves.

Sirius positioned himself between me and the drunk who punched me. Regulus was on my other side growling at the rest of the drunks. I stood up and rolled my shoulders. I felt and heard a satisfying pop. "Now, I'm going to leave. My wolves will attack if you follow me," I said to the group of drunks.

My pups and I walk back to the boardwalk to go home. I could hear the drunks yelling obscenities in my direction, as well as a few threats when they caught me alone. I just roll my eyes again. I haven't even put my shoes back on. I was too eager to get home to care that I was barefoot.

The drive back to the house was silent. Hell, the rest of the night was silent. Because of the silence and opened windows in my bedroom, I heard what sounded like Paul and Marko teasing an unconscious Michael. I sit closer to the window and listen. "Man, Mikey's bike is a piece of shit." I could tell that it was Marko. "Dude, Mikey needs to not be a poser," Paul must be carrying Michael.

I shake my head and lightly laugh. I climb into my bed, get comfortable, and wait for Sirius to lay his heavy body on me. It didn't take long, Sirius leaped onto my bed, landing on me with an "Oomph." Regulus had jumped onto the foot of my bed and got comfortable. The lights in the house were already off when I came into my room.

"Jenn...Jenn" Paul whispered my name from the open window. I roll over to face the window, "What?" "Can I come in?" He was hovering outside my window. "Does it matter if it's through a window?" I wondered. "An invite is an invite," Paul quoted David from when Paul asked that same question years ago. I sigh and sit up, "You can come in, Paul."

He pushed my window open, climbed inside, and flopped onto the floor. Paul lay there, staring at the ceiling, "What happened? We went to sleep that morning after watching you play that awesome video game. But then we woke up after the sun went down, and it was the night Star met Mikey. The guys think I'm crazy because I was talking about coming to see you, and they had no idea what I was talking about. I shut up once I saw Star was alive."

I fidget for a moment, "Matthius is what happened. I had turned on everything to make sure it worked. It did but Matthius delayed the activation. I thought something went wrong. I stood up, knocked into Regulus, and spilled a drink onto my computer which caused it to fry and smoke. Once I cleared the smoke out of my face, I was back in my packed blazer driving into Santa Carla. Matthius showed up and said he's surprised I lived as long as I did and he wasn't done playing with us."

Paul sat up and propped himself on his elbows, "Okay, but why am I the only one that remembers? We were all here when you finished setting everything up. It doesn't make sense." He laid back down and covered his eyes with one of his arms, some of his bangles shifted down his arm.

I replayed that moment in my head, "Did you touch any part of the set-up?" Paul slowly lifted his arm off his eyes as he realized, "I touch the wires on the wall. Is it my fault?" I closed my eyes and exhaled a sigh, "No, it's not. Matthius was going to restart the timeline no matter what. You remember because you came in contact with the portal, leaving a trace behind."

Standing up from the floor, Paul heads back to the window. He turns to look at me, "What now? Mikey is a half. Everything is happening just like last time." "Not everything. I'm thinking about introducing myself to Lucy and Grandpa tomorrow since I am their neighbor. Something small like that can shift everything enough to change the outcome," I rambled to Paul.

"That could work. I'll talk to the guys. Tell them I saw you at the boardwalk, figured out you live here, and said hello. Maybe we can come over after the sun goes down. You can show them the movie," Paul had vanished before I could say anything else. Looks like I'm having guests tomorrow night.

Movie Night

It was mid-afternoon when I ventured over to the Emersons', Regulus and Sirius trotting beside me. Stepping up onto the porch, I could hear Lucy yelling about leaving for work. She opens the front door as I'm about to knock, "Aah!" Lucy clutched her chest in fright, not expecting anybody to be standing at her door. "Sorry about that. I was coming to introduce myself. I'm Jenn and I moved in next door," I smiled and waved. "Oh, hello. It's nice to meet you. I didn't realize someone bought the place. I'm Lucy," She pushed open the screen door and came onto the porch. "Oh, I didn't buy it. My estranged uncle left it to me," I moved to the side so she could pass.

"That was nice of him. He was a recluse, we never knew he had family." Lucy looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "I'm sorry to run off but I have work," Lucy rushed down the porch. "No problem. See you around neighbor," I watched Lucy drive off before going back up to the door. She never closed it fully. I lean over the threshold, "Knock, knock." After a moment I hear someone run down the stairs to the door.

A teenage boy and his dog came to the door, "Hello. Who are you?" I laugh at his bluntness, "I'm Jenn. This is Regulus and Sirius. We moved in next door and thought we'd say hi." "I'm Sam and this Nanook," the boy introduced himself and his husky. Nanook sniffed at my pups while they did the same. Sirius, for once, didn't want to play. The only thing that came before playtime is food. "Well, it was nice meeting you, but I have to get going. It's lunchtime for these two." I wave and walk down the steps with my pups. Sam waved from the porch, "Nice meeting you too."

I serve lunch to my pups and make something for myself. I sit down in front of my tv to eat while scrolling through my movie library. I want to make sure The Lost Boys hasn't been messed with. I exhale a sigh of relief when I found it. I start to play the movie, watching it all the way through before exiting it. At least I know it's ready for when the boys show up.

I lost track of time as I cleaned the place a little. Several things have made their way to the garage to be dealt with later, just tacky knick-knacks and such. Soon, the sky outside was dark, my pups had come back in from the backyard, and I was standing in front of the pantry trying to choose between popcorn or chips. There was a knock on the front door. As I got closer, I could hear Paul talking to the others about what showing up tonight. I looked through the peephole, I can't really see anything. Which means Paul is leaning against the door...again.

I quickly open the door, standing slightly behind it, and watch as he fell inside. I was trying so hard not to laugh, "I see you made it." I look around the door and see David, Dwayne, and Marko standing outside waiting for an invitation, "Come on in guys." Paul stood up, "I told ya. Now come on."

I closed the door once they were inside. Paul detoured to the kitchen like he always did when they came over, Marko followed him, "Dude? What are you doing?" Paul had a bag of chips in each hand, "I tried telling you guys. We've been here but none of you believed me. And grabbing snacks." Marko shook his head as he and Paul joined the rest in the den upstairs. I went to open my bedroom door so my pups can go inside when they want. Paul and Marko sat down with the other two, who glared at Paul but he just shrugged.

I didn't say anything, I just sat down, picked up the remote, and started the movie. I would glance at the boys all throughout the movie. Their attention never left the screen. When it came to the scene where Marko dies, I watch the boys' reactions. Paul had inched closer to Marko, knowing he might react violently. And he did. Paul had to hold him down or Marko was going to probably thrash the room. Or maybe head over to the Emersons and kill them all. The two blonde vampires eventually sat back down to continue watching the movie. David, Dwayne, and Marko got angrier with each death, except Max. They could see Paul wasn't as angry but more upset.

When the credits started rolling I turned off the movie and waited. The vampires haven't really moved since they witnessed their own deaths. Surprisingly, it was Dwayne who broke the silence, "Please explain what we just witnessed?" Even though it was worded as a request, his tone made it sound like an order.

"To start off, I'm not from here. I was brought into this dimension from mine with the purpose of changing the outcome. In my dimension, your lives are a movie. Matthius has restarted the timeline. He's treating this like his own personal chessboard and we're the pawns," I knew I rambled a bit.

Marko moved into his own space, "So what now?" I didn't get a chance to say anything before Paul interrupted, "Now do you believe me?" The other three rolled their eyes and nodded their heads. "Well, you could let this play out as close to the original timeline so you know what to expect or wing it. Either way, the ending will not stay the same," I answered with confidence. I don't know what's going to happen but I do know the Lost Boys are not going to die.