Criminal

Chapter 14: Fire

His parents were out when I arrived. I was alone like when I confronted Alex, but I wasn't scared this time. As I opened his door, he sat on his bed as if waiting for me. "You figured it out, huh?"

"Bridgett told me just now." I stepped in front of him. "Was it that bad to let her become a vampire? I don't think it's a good idea, but must you go that far?"

"You should realize that the more people become vampires, the more souls are stuck. It's unhealthy for the people and the universe. I've been suffering from a trapped soul, and so have you. Bridgett carries a heavy burden of feeling all the stuck souls. We couldn't risk anymore. Fay was stubborn and power-hungry. Would she listen to a few kids? At least I had a valid reason from being terminally ill."

"Okay, I suppose you were fighting for the greater good. I've been curious why you killed her that way, and added claw marks. Did you want to kill me, or did I get in the way?"

"I thought it suited her as she wanted to be a vampire, but I regretted doing it that way. I was in the bathroom all night." He cringed when I did. I assumed he wanted to annoy me as much as possible. He continued. "You weren't my focus, but it would have cleaned up loose ends. Adding claw marks was to deter anyone from assuming a vampire did it, but that was Bridgett's idea to protect you, and to leave hints for you. I wanted her gone when she turned against me. I noticed she got cowardly once we started."

"Our parents must've known when the results came. They were protecting you. Everyone thought I'll kill you if I know, but I won't do that."

He glared at me. "You would have. Just because I know my life is ending, doesn't mean I want it taken away by you. I'm not going without knowing all the dangerous vampires are gone." He stood.

I stepped back. "I wanted to avenge Fay, but I changed. There's been too much violence, and I'm not dangerous."

"You got kicked out of school from your inability to control yourself."

"What I did is nothing compared to you. You even tried to kill your parents who took risks to support you. They sacrificed their souls and safety to make you happy, but that's not enough for you."

He jumped to tackle me, but with my knees bend, I stayed up and pushed him onto the floor. "Don't do this." I said as I held him down. "Just surrender. It'll be okay." I meant this beyond the fight.

He pushed me off and got on top of me. "No, not until you're gone." He's surprisingly strong. I supposed this was the final burst of energy in his lifetime.

I couldn't push him off. He's blaming me for his desperate actions and fighting his hardest before the end.

He grinned with his teeth showing. "You reek of gasoline." He flicked on a lighter from his pocket. Sneering, he aimed for my head.

Panicking, I banged my forehead against his hand. The lighter bounced from his hand into his face. He yelled as it burned his face, and then it landed on the rug. Finally free, I yanked out my burning bangs as the fire had every opportunity to grow.

I let instinct took over and ran for the phone downstairs. After calling the fire department, I got outside for safety. My body trembled involuntarily from adrenaline. I dreaded Nick's and Cecil's reactions to this. This would've been avoided if I cleaned up before I went. I overlooked something so obvious, and I even forgot my car, which I hoped was in Alex's driveway. I patted my pockets, but my keys, phone, and everything else were gone.

While waiting for the fire truck and wallowing in my thoughts, Bridgett's and Darren's voices were behind the house. I ran there, worrying if he's still a threat.

Bridgett let Darren drink from her wrist as he lay on the grass. I stepped closer to the sight of his burned skin with broken bones from the fall from his window. Something was off about his inability to heal.

"You know," Bridgett spoke to him, unaware of my presence. "I've been remotely removing the vampire spell for quite a while. It's been painstakingly slow." Her voice sounded oddly seductive.

She sure had different mannerisms around him than with me. Strange how she loved him, but her presence would kill him. Maybe she wanted to make the most of their final moments together, but I didn't understand why she let him drink from her. Wasn't helping him the opposite of what she wanted? I'd love for him to be my friend again, but he's too far gone.

"You're a sly little witch." He mumbled, but I might've misheard him at the last word. "It's so good, though."

"You don't have to worry about anything. I'm the first soul to gain immense healing properties. Eventually, more people will be like me and have healing blood. The vampires will get rarer to non-existent."

Her blood reversed the vampire effect like her presence did. Darren went to sleep for the last time. I stared, processing what happened. "Did you kill my brother?"

She turned to me, all fidgety, and frantically spoke. "It couldn't be avoided. He was ready to go." She nudged me away to not let me see anymore of him. Darren seemed like a waste of potential, but I accepted it. It's surreal he died even when I knew it was coming. At least he's where he took Fay, and it's justice.

The sirens alerted us to the fire department. They went straight to work after I pointed to his room. I turned to Bridgett, who held her bleeding wrist. She gave her blood to the restaurant, so it will turn most of the vampires back. My cure was right in front of me. "So, your blood changes people back." She stiffly nodded. "So, can I have it?"

She reluctantly gave me her wrist. She must've lost much of her blood, so I'd be careful. It's still retribution after she started this and turned me. I sucked the blood, and Darren's right. Her blood was by far the best, like ice cream on a summer day. It's easy to go overboard.

Once my teeth changed to normal and my breathing returned, I recoiled in disgust at what I did. Strange how it bothered me a lot less when I needed it. She smiled, happy for me, but pale and sleepy. I wrapped my sweater around her wound and let her rest on the grass. Kari should forgive me for ruining her clothes. Although, I didn't regret using her blood to reverse me; I worried about leaving her injured in the cold. She lay still on the ground, and I grew concerned for her.