6 - Friday Night: Revelations!

Alright… here we are.

I definitely know more than I did. Whether I wanted to know? Different question. But yeah — Friday night was… a revelation. Proper one. And that’s why I didn’t post yesterday. My head was just looping it over and over, messing me up.

There were tears. There was anger. A bit of acceptance too… not loads at the time, but I’ve had a day to sit with it, and honestly? It is what it is. I can’t unknow it. So I’m gonna lay it out for you.

And yeah — I’m still trying to get my phone back. I was meant to get it yesterday, but I didn’t. Edwin’s apparently left it somewhere else so I wouldn’t find it if I went searching round the house. Which… fair enough, I get the logic, but it still wound me up. He’s said I will get it back today though. So we’ll see.

Right. Let’s go.

Friday night — leading up to it

Before Evan came round, Edwin was proper restless. Just rushing about, keeping busy, like he was trying not to be in the same room as me. I asked him what was gonna happen and he just went, “Wait for Evan. We’ll deal with it then.”

So we got a takeaway and watched a bit of telly — couldn’t tell you what was on, my brain was doing a hundred miles an hour. Kebab was solid though. Always is.

Then almost bang on nine — knock at the door.

Edwin stands up, and I’m shifting about on the sofa, nervous as anything. He opens the door and goes, “Evan… come in.”

And that line — come in — it proper took me back to the night I got jumped. I still don’t remember much, but I do remember him hammering on the door and shouting “Invite me in,” and Edwin saying “Come in, come in.”

I know why now. I’ll get to it.

Evan walks in, and we sit like some weird little meeting: Edwin on one side of the sofa, me on the other, Evan in the middle. And I’m looking at him thinking… this is insane.

I’m like, “Right. What’s going on? Tell me. I need to know.”

And Evan, in that horrible calm way he’s got, just goes: “Calm down. We’re going to go through a few things. Things are the way they are. We can’t change them. I am who I am, and you are who you are.”

Then he says he’s going to start at the beginning and run through what he knows. That I won’t like some of it. But it’s there for a reason. “Do you understand?”

And I’m like, “Yeah. I understand. Just get on with it.” Because honestly, the last month has been a nightmare. No job, my girlfriend confused, no mates, no life. I was done with the mystery act.

So I’m not gonna tell it word for word like Evan said it — I’m gonna give you the main points. Otherwise this will take about twelve hours.

Evan — the basics

First thing: his name is Evan Collins. Birth name. He says he was born in 1264.

That alone nearly made my brain melt. Because… 1264.

He said he doesn’t even remember his exact birthday anymore, but I worked it out and basically he’s around 762 years old.

I must’ve looked like an idiot because he just goes, deadpan: “Yeah. Long time. I’ve seen a lot happen.”

Then he says — straight to my face — he’s seen his whole family die, friends die… and he goes:

“And I’ve killed a lot of people.”

No drama. No flinch. Just says it.

Some bad people, he said. Some… for him.

And I’m sat there like… right. Vampire maths. That’s what we’re doing now.

He said he was born near Worksop, Derbyshire, and he was turned into a vampire in 1281, when he was 17.

That bit clicked something in my head because… it explains why he looks young. But then his eyes don’t match his face. Like there’s too much in them.

He said his story matters, and he’ll tell me properly another time, but for now he wanted me to understand why he’s in my life.

The standing stone

Then he tells me this bit that honestly still feels like a dream.

He says 19 years ago or so, he started feeling this pull — like he had to go somewhere. Never had it before. Didn’t understand it. Just this urgent need.

And in his head he kept seeing this image: a standing stone near a crossroads.

He followed the pull for days until it got stronger and stronger… and then he found the place. A crossroads with a standing stone. He said it looked smaller than in the image — centuries of weathering, plus some idiot had sprayed graffiti on it. But he knew it was the right spot because the pull stopped the second he got there.

Then he felt like he had to stay.

So he found somewhere nearby to hide out during the day and he waited.

He said he waited about a month and a half… and then one night he got this sharp, almost painful feeling that he had to go back to the stone right now. So he did.

He gets there, and he says there’s no lightning, no big flash, none of that — but it was like a dark hole opened near the base of the stone. Like a black void. Only for a few seconds.

And then…

He looks at me and goes, “And then you were there.”

A baby.

Me.

Just… there.

That part hit me hard. Like I couldn’t breathe for a second. I was trying to decide if it was a lie, a trick, a story… but then why would he say it like that? Why would Edwin sit there and not argue?

Edwin and me

Evan said he already knew Edwin — years before, he’d needed information, and Edwin was the sort of person who could get it. So Evan took me straight to him.

Edwin was shocked, obviously. But he didn’t freak out. He just… went into action. Milk, nappies, all the stuff. Practical. Sorted.

And that’s how it stayed. Edwin became the person who raised me. They built a story. Evan sorted paperwork. Guardianship. Identities. All of it.

So yeah… Edwin isn’t my uncle. Not really.

I still don’t know what he is to me. If he’s related somehow. Edwin said he doesn’t know — could be a link hundreds of years back for all we know, but nothing definite. He was just the right bloke at the right time.

And sitting there hearing that… it was a proper mindfuck. I’m not gonna pretend it wasn’t.

The stone again

Then Evan tells me that after he brought me to Edwin, he felt the pull again — back to the stone.

And when he got there, he felt like he had to put his hands on it.

So he did.

And he said he saw images. Not words — images and feelings.

Images of me being safe. Being looked after.

He said he got this feeling of gratitude. Like whoever it was… was satisfied.

Then he felt a warning — not “keep the boy safe” like a nice little suggestion — more like keep him safe because he matters.

And Evan, in his head, promised he would.

He told me he’s followed me for years at night. Always close. Always watching. If I went out, he was there somewhere. In shadows. Just… there.

And yeah — I thought about my girlfriend. Obviously I did.

And he just looks at me and goes, “Yeah. Even then.”

I went bright red. Not proud of it, but that happened.

He said there were a couple of times when I was drunk walking home and there were “undesirables” about — and he “dealt with it” before anything happened.

I didn’t ask what “dealt with” means because… I didn’t want the answer.

And then he said something that surprised me.

He looked at me and went, “That night in the park… that was my fault. I should’ve been quicker. I should’ve seen it earlier. I didn’t. I’m sorry.”

And I did lose it again. Because what do you do with that? He saved me, but my whole life’s still been ripped up, and I’ve been isolated, and I’ve had nothing but silence.

But eventually I calmed down. Edwin calmed me down. We got through it.

Prof, the “circuit”, and Evan disappearing

I asked about Prof — because I’d heard the name when Evan brought me back from Knaresborough. Evan clocked straight away how I knew and called me on it.

He said Prof’s not something we’re getting into yet.

Then he said he had to do a “circuit” — basically check the area is safe. Make sure there aren’t others of his kind nearby doing anything that could mess with whatever this is.

He didn’t say it, but I got the feeling “keep away” isn’t always done with polite words.

My questions (and the phone)

Then Evan asked if I had questions and I was like… mate, I’ve got a thousand.

Where am I from? Where did I come from? Why me? What’s the plan?

And the honest answer was: they don’t know. Not fully.

They know I’m important. They know I need protecting. They know something is coming. But they don’t know when or what.

Edwin tried saying we just carry on as normal, and I snapped again. Because it’s not normal. None of this is normal.

But then Edwin said they’re giving me my phone back.

I thought it was going to be yesterday, but it wasn’t. He’d left it somewhere else — literally so I wouldn’t find it if I went searching for it. He said it’s coming back to me today. Proper.

I just stared at him like, “Why now?”

And Evan said because they hope I understand now — the secrecy isn’t about controlling me for fun. It’s about keeping all of us safe. Because of who Evan is, who Edwin is, and apparently… who I am.

Then Evan says he’s set me up with a job.

I’m like, “What job?”

And Evan tells me he has businesses online that bring in good money — stuff he’s built up over years and basically says the job is a cover so it looks normal, and I’ll have money coming in.

I said, “So what will I actually do?”

Evan goes, “For now? Not much. You’ll have things to do later. But we want you settled. We want it to look normal.”

And then he says, casually, “I’ll still be watching you.”

But now I’ll know he’s watching.

Yeah. Lovely.

One thing I had to ask

And just before he stood up to leave, something clicked in my head.

I turned to him and went, “Wait. Why does Edwin always say it like that? ‘Come in.’ Every time you come to the door. He did it the night you were hammering on after I got jumped — shouting ‘invite me in’ — and he’s just done it again tonight. Why doesn’t he just open the door and let you in like… normal?”

Evan didn’t even look surprised. He just nodded, like he’d been waiting for me to connect the dots.

“Because it isn’t normal,” he said. “Not for me.”

Then he goes, calm as anything: “If I enter a dwelling without being invited, I’ve got no power. None of it. I’m just… a man. Normal. No strength, no speed, none of it. I can’t defend myself properly.”

I just stared at him. “So you need permission to walk through a door?”

“Yes,” he said. “An invitation. Every time.”

And I won’t lie — that put a cold weight in my stomach. Because suddenly it wasn’t just a weird phrase Edwin says… it’s a rule. A real one.

The handshake

By this point it’s getting on, and I’m drained. Evan stands up — like, one second sitting, next second upright — and he holds his hand out.

He goes, “It’s nice to meet you, Callum. I’m Evan.”

I’m like… “I know.”

He goes, “Will you shake my hand?”

And I did.

And his hand was cold. Not icy, not wet — just… like it had no heat in it. Like holding something that isn’t meant to be alive.

I said, “Nice to meet you, Evan,” because what else do you even say?

Then he left.

Edwin, and… a weird little moment

Edwin sat with me after and asked if I was alright.

I wasn’t, obviously. I had a headache, my mind was foggy, and I just wanted bed.

He said sorry. Said he would’ve told me more if he knew more. Said he couldn’t be anything other than my “uncle” because of paperwork, because of the story they’d built.

And as I was going upstairs… I don’t know. Something hit me.

This bloke did raise me. He did look after me. Even if it’s all built on something mad.

So I looked back and said, “Edwin… thanks. For bringing me up. For looking after me.”

He smiled — proper soft — and just said, “It’s been a pleasure.”

Then I went to bed.

Didn’t sleep much.

But that’s where I’m leaving it for now.

This has been the longest one yet, and easily the weirdest one for me to write. But at least… I’m getting my phone back today.

Small wins, yeah?