David ran through the woods, branches and twigs cutting his face and snagging on his tattered shirt, leaves getting caught in his ginger hair. The yells of the men behind him echoed around the otherwise silent forest. He had to had to get out of here. He had to find a way back into the city. There was a gunshot behind him, and the wood on a nearby tree exploded. Panting for breath, David picked up his pace. He could see the entrance to the park no too far away, less than a hundred metres.

He burst into the park, running through a families morning picnic. "Sorry!" He yelled frantically. He leapt over a couple kissing on the ground. He didn't have time to swerve. The sound of his chasers seemed more distant, despite the fact their footsteps still pounded in his ears.

He left the park and began winding his way though the streets. David stumbled on a rock as he turned into an alley, and ran straight into another boy. Both of them toppled backwards, skidding across the concrete. The pair scrambled to their feet. The strangers face, arms and chest were covered in fresh blood, the smell of which invaded Davids nostrils, his mind clouding over.

"This isn't what it looks like man." The silver haired boy said quickly.

David shook his head, trying to shake out the urge as he staggered past, before stopping. Listening... Listening for something that wasn't there. A heartbeat... He rounded on the boy, who stared back at him. "What-"
Another gunshot sounded. The blood covered boy grabbed David by the arm and pulled him through the alley.

"Shut up, don't ask any questions."

David barely had time to speak before he was shoved through the doorway into a house. The stranger threw him into a room before crashing into a chair.

"What's going on?" David asked, scrambling to his feet.

"Nick what did you do?" Asked a voice. David wheeled around to see another boy his age lying back in a chair.

The blood covered boy, Nick, sat upwards. "He saw me ok? I'll drain him in a minute until he passes out."

David spun between the two. "Drain m—"

"Dude I thought you were off live-"

David shook his head and ran for the door, only the have Nick suddenly appear in front of him. "You're not going anywhere."

David tried shake his grip. "Get off me! You don't know what I can do."

"No, you don't know what I can do."

David stared at the boy, emitting a low growling sound from the back of his throat, his vision focusing on the bloody man, and unbeknownst to him, his green eyes darkening into an unnatural orange. Nicks pupils expanded, turning his eyes completely black as he hissed through gritted teeth. David started back, releasing a small whimper.

"Oh my god!" The other boy called from the other room, interrupting them. "Nick you brought a werewolf home? Really?"

Nicks eyes reduced to normal, and he cocked his head. "Ah. That was... Unexpected."

David looked around. "What are you? How do you know-"
"I'm a vampire." Nick spat. "Get with the program Fido. This is Riley, he's a zombie."
The other boy, Riley, waved lazily from the chair.

David backed himself against a wall. "Vampire? Z-Zombie? Wait shouldn't he be like, rotting or somethings?"

Riley stood up from his chair. "Oh good job Nick, you brought back a deadist."

A spoon flew through the air and hit Davids head. "Who's deadist?" Asked a woman's voice. A short ginger girl appeared sitting in a coffee table.

"This werewolf Nick brought home-" Riley signed, waving a hand at David.

"What is going on?" David yelled.

All of them turned to him.  "Get back in your kennel dude." Nick muttered, moving towards a set of stairs. "I'll let this pair explain."

"Where are you going?" The girl asked.

Nick wiped blood from his lips. "I'm going to get cleaned up." He disappeared upstairs, leaving David with the others.

"Ok, sit down." Riley said, shoving David into a chair. "You're a werewolf right?"

David shifted uncomfortably  in his chair. "Why- What would make you say that?" He laughed nervously.

Riley shook his head. "Alright, whatever. I'm a zombie. Undead corpse, eat brains, etc. Nick, who's upstairs, is a vampire," Riley paused, turning and yelling at the ceiling, "Who's supposed to be quitting drinking live blood!"
There was an indistinguishable call from upstairs.

David was silent. "So other... other... Other creatures exist?"

Riley scoffed, falling back into an armchair. "If you have to call us that."

"A-and what about her?" David nodded to the ginger girl, who twirled another spoon in her fingers and stared intently at his forehead.

"Genieve? She's a poltergeist." The girl curtsied, throwing the spoon at David, who let it bounce harmlessly off his shoulder as he stared intently at the ground.

Nick eventually entered the room in a set of clean clothes, running a towel through his shining silver hair. David sat with his head in his hands.

"So... What are we doing with Hairy MacClairy here?" Riley asked. The tall ginger ignored him.

Genieve sat up. "Can we keep it? Please?"

"I'm not an it, thank you very much." David muttered.

"You have got to be joking," Riley laughed, "This place is cramped enough as it is. And there's barely any privacy with you around, never mind an extra person!"

"Come on." Genieve continued. "He's like a little lost puppy. Literally."

Nick reappeared on the stairs, seemingly out of nowhere. David opened his mouth to object to all of the dog terms, before deciding against it. Instead, he stood up and moved towards the door. "Listen I-I'd better leave before you-"

Nicks hand shot out and hit him in the shoulder. "You're not going anywhere pal. You're staying here."

Riley shot to his feet. "What? Come on, he's probably already got some kind of home, or-or at least a shack, or tent, or..." He stopped upon noticing David staring awkwardly at the floor, "Great." The zombie muttered.

"We can't let him tell anyone." Nick said, pushing David back into the room. "I doubt he'd risk exposing himself, but if anything got out about us, we'd be up to our knees in pitchforks faster than you can say tombstone. And besides, I'd rather not risk sending him insane trying to get someone to wipe his memory."

"Nobody owns pitchforks..." Riley grumbled.

"I'm sorry but did you say insane as if this wasn't already insane?" David asked. Nick glared at him and he went silent.

"If he doesn't have a home, he stays." Nick said finally, turning to David, "Do you have a home?"

"Well, I suppose not exactly—"

"Great!" Nick grinned, patting David in the shoulder and sitting down. "It's settled then."

A glass of coke on the coffee table exploded beside Genieve. "Yes!" She punched the air. "Can we name it?"

Riley rolled his eyes. "He's already got a name. It's..." He made a gesture with his hand urging David finish for him.

"Oh, uh, my name's... My names David."

"See his names David." Riley said, trying to feign enthusiasm. "So no, you can't name him." He wandered into what seemed to be a kitchen, muttering and cursing under his breath.

"So then, David." Nick said, leaning forward in his chair. "There's a free room upstairs, first door to the left. Just buy your own share of the food and uh... Try not to kill the neighbours."

"Look who's talking." Genieve muttered under her breath.

"Shut up Ghost-Girl." Nick snapped, before standing up and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen, just make yourself at home. But just know, if you do anything to expose us to those humans who were after you, I will personally rip your throat out with my bare fangs." Nick sighed, throwing his towel over his shoulder and racing back upstairs. "I hope this works out..." He grumbled as he disappeared behind a wall.

David sat down, and stayed there for a long time, ignoring anything going on around him, not that much did, milling over recent events in his mind and attempting to come to grips with them. He gulped, picking at one of the many, many holes in his shirt. His stomach growled. "Is- Is there uh, like a fridge or something?" He asked quietly.

Genieve floated a few inches above the coffee table, nodding. "In kitchen. Help yourself. Although it might not-" David had already scrambled out of his chair and into the kitchen, throwing open the fridge door. "It might not be what you're expecting!" Genieve called out behind him.

David stared in at about a dozen plastic bags filled with what appeared to be blood, and several cling wrapped packages of mysterious meat chunks. "D-Do you guys have any uh... How do I put this... Actual food?"

"I think there's still some leftover sheep pluck in the freezer." Riley said, entering the room behind him. "Just a bit of liver, or maybe a heart if you're lucky."

David closed the fridge. "Actually... I-I'm good. I can find something else later."

"Suit yourself."

David leant against the refrigerator and slid onto the floor. "This is ridiculous." He breathed.

"What is?" Genieve materialised beside him, making him jump.

"That!" He yelled. "Sorry, just... Vampires and zombies? And a ghost? I mean, how are you guys even moving? No offence, but, shouldn't you be six foot under or something?"

Riley dropped a blood covered plate into the sink. "Huh, wouldn't that be nice."

David shook his head. "I just can't really handle all of this right now. Not after... After..." Genieve moved to ask him what he was talking about, but Riley signalled her to leave it. "This is not going to end well." David muttered.

Genieve punched him in the arm, her hand turning to dust when it contacted with him. "Aw, come on. Well walk you, and feed you, and give you fresh water, and everything!"

David looked at her. "Please, just-just stop it. Stop it with all the dog stuff it's... It's really not helping."

"You'll have to get used to her." Riley sighed. "Her haunting is just one of the many pros of living with the dead."