A Dean Phelan Epiphany: Essence

I remembered the vampire saying I would be in a world of pain. Not exactly as a quote, but it was most definitely implied. He wasn’t lying and probably hadn’t told a single one since. Even though I realized I was awake, I also realized that the back of my head was throbbing yet numb at the same time. As hard as that is to believe, what was worse is that my eyes still hadn’t reenergized enough to avoid unclearness. 

I blinked twice, in hope to finally get my eyesight back, but that didn’t work. I could see, but not enough to stand-up and walk around by myself. There were white, red, brown, and black spots, surrounding me. They would change when I would move my head, at least I hope I was moving my head. Either that, or I was dreaming again. But it didn’t feel like a dream. I didn’t feel empty or cold for that matter. 

There was someone calling me. A deep voice slowly beckoning me. I turned around and around and still didn’t manage to near it, although my nausea was getting worse. I heard it again, closer each time and then I felt someone’s hand, shaking my shoulder. Though the jolts were barely enough to hurt, I was just attacked by a vampire and probably had an unreasonable amount of brain damage, which lead to each movement feel like a hammer to the head. 

“Ow!” I cried, backing away from the hand. 

I covered my head with my hands, in some attempt to stop it from exploding. I heard more voices again, except this time they were recognizable. 

“He...’s... still... hurt... ing,” said one voice. 

I focused on the words, one by one and before you know it, I felt something sharp and pointy jab into my flesh. I was so sore from before, and tired, I didn’t even bother to move away. I knew I was bleeding from my arm, mostly because I could feel the blood being pumped out by my heart through the gap from the needle. 

There was a sudden rush of energy that I felt. Energy that came out of nowhere, as I felt it. Everything tasted like peace for a second and then, all the colorful spots came into focus.

I was staring at Jerome and Heather, who were both in search for a sign of my consciousness.

“He can see us,” Heather guessed. “He’s awake.”

I could see them and I was glad she had noticed. I began to lift my head off of the soft pillow underneath my head. Every minute that passed by, I began to regain my bound senses back, including smell. There was a strong aroma, disgusting. My stomach couldn’t handle it and I was about to experience an involuntary action that I wanted no one to see. In order to cover it up, I threw myself away from Heather and Jerome and landed back on the floor. Then, I puked my guts out. Not literally, of course but I did mange to vomit a whole lot.  

This whole day had just been a roller coaster ride that I was peer pressured into riding. The symptoms were the same too and the outcome was just as bad. I turned my head around to notice Heather and Jerome staring at me awkwardly. 

“I’ll get more towels for the floor,” Jerome said, standing up with the drug inflicting needle in his hand and walking off somewhere. 

Heather just sat on the floor the same way she had been since I woke up. She quietly made her way to me with the small wet towel I was given earlier, resting it on my head. 

“Don’t worry,” she comforted. “You’ll be fine. I- I puked too, except it wasn’t in p-public and as embarrassing.”

Surprisingly, it was comforting. 

“What is that smell?” I asked, covering my nose with my dirty hands.

“Oh, that would be Harrison,” Heather informed. “Or what’s left of the vampire.”

I looked to my left to see a rotting corpse on the floor. There were a pile of bones lying still on the floor with some variant sized pieces of meat still sticking to them. The skull was the most peculiar of them all, with because it was missing two of the front teeth, which I presumed were the fangs that had fallen out when the gums dissolved into the smell. 

Lex walked in from the activity room with a few cleaning supplies, glad that I had awaken.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” he said, dropping a special mop into a special bucket full of acid. “How are you feeling?”

“How does it look like I’m feeling?” I answered a question with a question, my voice getting raspy.