Chapter 7: Two Worlds
It's hard to explain exactly what I saw. His face was no longer human, it had become angular, with very pronounced cheekbones, and his eyes lost their blue and became red, animalistic. And his canine teeth did -of course-lengthen and sharpen at the tips.
I wished I had not reacted like I had, however the shock was too great and I did, to my shame, scream.
I prided myself on being pretty tough when it came to weird and wonderful things, but this was too much.
Then I had a thought-jerking idea, had they not said that it was about me too?
Well I wasn't like that! Right? I looked at David again. He gave me a measured look and slowly nodded.
I shuddered; he could hear my thoughts.
"You're one of us! Its gonna be great!"Paul clapped me on the shoulder; he was certainly the one you could count on to break an edgy mood.
"Well...I guess its okay..." I tried to be positive, it's not like I could change it now. Besides, sorrow and vengeance would be a waste of energy.
David cut in, "but you know what we are, correct?"
I struggled to force the word out, "vam..vamp.." I took a deep breath, "Vampire."
"And you're alright with that?" Marko lifted a sceptical eyebrow, "Well this is unusual, no screaming? No begging us not to eat you?"
Paul whistled, "Told you it'd be fine, I knew she wasn't soft! So pay up!"Marko groaned. I looked at David uncertainly, "what were they betting on?""Oh, Marko assumed you'd be the type to run away screaming, Paul disagreed."
"What if I had?" David's expression hardened, "We'd have had to kill you."
I paled. "Hey, its fine, you didn't." Needless to say, this didn't make me feel any better.
So now I'm....a what? "Half-vamp," Paul filled in.
"Ugh stop doing that!"
"Doing what?"
"Reading my mind, it creeps me out!" They all chuckled at my words.
I thought about what I had just learned; so now I was part of a.....pack? Then I thought about what I was giving up, no more mother and father, no more school, no more bullies.
That heartened me. Although I would miss my parents, it's not like they needed me and I'd be fine without their constant nagging, they didn't want me, they wanted the perfect daughter. Someone I couldn't be.
They all noticed my buoyed mood and seemed thrilled that I wasn't fighting them about it.
"But why me?" I asked no one in particular, this was the one thing which still bothered me, out of everyone, why was I special enough to be picked out? I was nobody.
"Well, David took a shine to you; we were watching you for a while, before then!" David punched Paul on the shoulder and growled, "I think sharing times over, Paul."
For some reason the fact they had, in effect been stalking me, didn't bother me. Actually I was kind of pleased that they picked me. I had never been chosen for anything, ever.
Paul ducked his head and bounded off; honestly he's like an overgrown puppy at times. Before he took off he did take the time to shout, "bye Duckie!" over his shoulder. I grimaced: I still couldn't shake the name off!
Marko and Dwayne silently melted into the shadows and for the first time that night we were truly alone. I swallowed. David cleared his throat.
"Did....did, Paul mean that?"
"Mean what?" Like he didn't know....
"That you....that you took a shine to me?"
David was silent for a moment, "Maybe I did, and maybe I didn't. The point is you will have to kill people, Astrid. None of that rubbish about only taking what you need, it doesn't work like that." He grinned at me, all the sober emotions he had harboured rapidly dissolved.
I had waited with baited breath but I never got a straight answer!
"Did you listen to a word I said?" Only this time he said it light-heartedly.
"No," I admitted, "I got bored after "the point is....""I also grinned.
His smile disappeared, his jaw clenched and his forehead creased. I moved closer.
"What happened to you, David?" I tried to put it delicately.
He shook his head, as thought trying to clear his mind, and frowned, "you like me too much, and that might cloud your judgement."
Abruptly he stood up, "Get going, it's time to we get this done" I didn't move, "get what done?!"
He sounded very agitated now; he practically barked at me, "Your first kill, of course!"
I gazed at him in amazement, talk about having a personality transplant!
"Are you listening?! Go on, we need to get this done now!"
Umm what? I don't think so. So I took the cowards way out, to my disgrace.
I turned and fled.
