Going into Nothing Zero, I knew I had to create some new characters. Since Nothing is now a rock star, I thought it would be interesting to create a character that sort of mirrored his story from Live Undead. So I created Fray. The following excerpt is his introduction. Just like the last excerpt, this piece hasn’t been properly edited, and is presented exactly as it appears in my current draft. I hope you enjoy it.

From Chapter 3 “We Hunger”

Nothing Zero was his favorite band. Fray paid for their music, watched their videos, attended their concerts and bought their merchandise. He owned every shirt they put out, every poster they appeared on and even multiple copies of their albums—the standard and deluxe double CD editions, vinyl version and digital download.

Before he discovered Nothing Zero, Fray looked normal. Brooding eyes hidden behind curly tufts of brown hair and a large nose dominating his oval-shaped face, there was nothing remarkable about him. But after seeing the “Bleed for Me” video, he decided to grow his hair long. By the time the album came out he started wearing black clothing and calling himself Fray. Not long after Nothing Zero released Until The Light, he was wearing make-up and sexually experimenting with boys. Just one month before The Third Kind came out, he broke up with his boyfriend and the album’s songs helped him get over the heartbreak. The music of Nothing Zero helped Fray understand there was nothing normal about him. Thanks to Nothing Zero, Fray looked beautiful.

The band changed his life, and Fray was excited he had a chance to tell them.

“Are you nervous?” Krista smiled.

“A little, I guess.” Even though every inch of his body tingled with anticipation, Fray tried not to show it. But as the elevator floors ticked away, he realized his hands were shaking. Steadying himself, he offered Krista a nervous little smile before turning his eyes back to the floor numbers.

The whole experience had been surreal.

Even though Fray had been to several shows already, he decided to follow Nothing Zero for the final week of their Dead and Glamorous tour. When they took the stage at the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View, he was down in the front row. He screamed the words to “Sweet Division” right back to Nothing when they played the Hollywood Bowl. As the band tore through “I Am Zero” at the Honda Center in Anaheim, he had been banging his head in perfect time. The endeavor was ridiculously expensive, but worth every dime.

As he drove to Chula Vista, Fray received a direct message from the band’s official Twitter account. Krista had been following his Tweets and Facebook postings about the shows, and wanted to talk to him. Over the phone, she told him the band hoped to make Las Vegas a night he’d never forget. She arranged to meet with him.

Two hours before the ampitheatre’s doors opened, Fray arrived at Red Rock Casino. Entering the casino, Fray feared he had been the brunt of a cruel practical joke. With his pale skin, teased hair and Nothing Zero t-shirt, he felt hopelessly out of place among all the overweight and middle-aged vacationers. When he saw Krista waiting for him in the food court, he had never been happier.

Big dark eyes, tiny nose and bobbed black hair framing her porcelain face, Krista spent thirty minutes with Fray. Treating him to pizza, she politely listened to Fray pour his heart out. He explained what Nothing Zero meant to him. He told her about how awkward and ugly he used to feel. He told her about his favorite songs, and what their words meant to him. When Fray finished, Krista asked if he wanted to meet Wraith.

Fray felt the breath leave his body.

After getting into Nothing Zero, Fray checked out Live Undead and Resurrection Cult. While the bands were radically different, he could hear echoes of Nothing Zero in their albums. Having recognized familiar guitar riffs and melodies, he knew Wraith authored the band’s best songs. With his dark androgynous beauty and edgy sex appeal, Nothing drew Fray to the band, but Wraith made him love their music.

Now he was going to meet him.

The elevator doors opened.

“Here we are,” Krista smiled.

Taking a deep breath, Fray stepped into the hallway. They were on the seventh floor. Fray wasn’t surprised Wraith hadn’t stayed on one of the upper floors. The ridiculously expensive suites wouldn’t have been his style. While Nothing was the focal point of the band’s marketing, Wraith barely appeared in their publicity. Even when they payed live, the towering bass player sank comfortably into the background, ceding the spotlight to his diminutive, gender bending singer.

Leading Fray to the last suite to the left, Krista glanced back at him. “He’s been looking forward to seeing you.”

Another stunner, this one buckling Fray’s knees. The idea Wraith was looking forward to seeing him made his heart race. He had barely started breathing again by the time Krista opened the door.

Stepping aside, Krista smiled. “Go on. He’s waiting inside.”

Fray steadied himself and stepped into the suite.

With the lights out, the large picture windows bathed the parlor in moonlight. Fray took a moment to pluck the details out of the mellow blue darkness—the 50 inch plasma, the L-shaped sofa and dining table for four. While luxurious, Fray was certain the room paled in comparison to the opulent upper floor suites. Fray then noticed a light.

“Hello?” he whispered.

Following the light, Fray found himself in the bedroom. It took him a moment to realize he wasn’t alone. Occupying one of the twin club chairs immediately in front of the bedroom’s large windows, Wraith’s dark eyes were fixed on Fray. Washed in the gentle golden glow of the desk lamp, and framed by the desert night, Wraith was everything Fray had hoped.

Rising to his feet, the bassist slunk towards him.

“Wraith,” Fray uttered.

Wraith smiled, allowing just a glimpse of his fangs. “I’ve been looking forward to this, Fray.”

His heart thundering in his chest, Fray’s whole body quivered. “Me too,” he whispered.

Gently Wraith traced his long, spidery fingers across Fray’s face. The bassist leaning in close to him, Fray caught Wraith’s gaze. “Don’t be scared.”

Staring into Wraith’s almond shaped black eyes, Fray felt the world slipping away. His heart falling to an easy rhythm, a gentle calm came over him. As Wraith squeezed Fray’s ass, and pulled him close, Fray knew what was coming next. Understanding death was near, he should have been terrified. Instead, Fray found peace and comfort greater than any he had known before.

Closing his eyes, Fray arched his neck and leaned into Wraith. He barely felt the bassist’s teeth as they sank into the supple flesh of his throat. The warmth of his own blood spilling down his chest, Fray moaned gently and pressed against the coldness of Wraith’s body until he became one with it.