Vampire and Slayer

Vampire and Slayer-(27 At Your Hands I Die)

I wasn't hungry. I wasn't thirsty either, but I made myself drink water. Every other day I forced myself to consume five saltine crackers, but I somehow, every time, managed to throw up at least twice what I ate. I wasn't voluntarily throwing up, it just happened from grieving.  

"For heaven's sake, Aerie! You need to eat! Do you realize all you have eaten in ten days is twenty crackers? And I'm not fooled that it's staying down! I'm worried about you. You're what? Twenty pounds lighter than you were when I met you? Fifteen since you decided to stay with me? I know women don't like to discuss their weight, but this is dangerous. You are too tall and have too wide of bones to be this thin! I don't want to lose you over anorexia. There are so many more nobles deaths that have been available to you and you choose to starve yourself. Please," he begged.  

I could hear the pain and see it too. He really was worried. Only for Ben, I thought, thinking about how much I was going to throw up. "Okay. If it'll make you happy, I'll have burger." The words were forced, but I wanted Ben happy. 

"Thank you," he whispered and towed me inside to order.  

* * * 

We were waiting for the food when I decided I couldn't take being inside anymore. The walls seemed like they were closing in on me and the people were getting bigger, and talking louder. I saw vampires that weren't there everywhere. The people were unknowing of what was going to happen to them. I was going to kill them. The vampires I saw all looked like me. And everyone in the room looked like my mother, Sillyte, April, Ari, and Thai. The waitress ignoring a table where the man was kissing the woman on the neck was me not stopping that vampire from accidentally drinking Fairy's blood. When he took the fork, pushed it against his chest to get a better grip was him stabbing himself with a wooden stake and he was feeding his blood to Fairy in hopeful attempts to save her not food to that frilly blonde who was actually there. And the man in the kitchen, who was really pulling food in and out of the ovens, was me, stabbing Aliyyah, Taylor, and Jackie.  

I knew I was going insane. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. And the vomit was already starting to come up. My stomach was flipping and rolling with every sound I heard and movement I saw. "Ben," I pleaded in a small voice. "I have to get out of here. I...I can't....can't....the walls...I...out!" 

He rose to his feet and drug me out of the building, asking the man at the desk to put the food on the hood of his car when it was ready.  

Once outside, I felt better as the fresh air wafted through my brain and cleared my mind. People were people again. Not me killing. 

"Better?" he asked.  

"Much." 

We walked along the road. There were no cars, but people were running and walking on the side walk. Ben led me down a side road and down under a bridge. I was still edgy from what had happened in the diner, but I was better.  

There was a bench almost a block beyond the bridge and I pointed to it, giving up on walking. It only hurt and was annoying. I sat on his lap as well as I could then cuddled into his chest. With my ear pressed to his heart, I remembered why I was in love with him. It always helped to hear the low thump. It kept me saner. Not that I could ever be completely.  

The clouds parted further, and the sun came out. I felt it warm against my neck, but Ben warm against the rest of my body was better. He wrapped his arms around me, but I felt his hand grip his wrist and worried.  

"We should go back to the car," I said, sadly giving up on my last rays of sun.  

"Thank you," he sighed. He helped me to my feet and I urged him forward, murmuring to him that he needed his distance. I hobbled after him. Just then, a girl walking by tripped and fell, ripping open her knee.