Enlightenment

Part 27

              Jamie laid a hand on my arm and tried to speak but I shook him off. I cast a helpless look at him before turning and following David. He had run out of the main door and around to the garage. I ran up to him but he ignored me.

“David? David I’m sorr-“I don’t know what I was apologizing for but it seemed like the only thing to do.

He cut me off. “Get out of my way!” Startled I jumped aside and he pulled the first set of keys he came across from the rack behind me. He pressed the unlock button and then strode swiftly towards the car that responded. The Porsche.

“What are you doing? David, David! Do not get into that car! It’s too dangerous!”

I ran after him, about to block his way. His face contorted with fury, “Don’t you dare stop me you- you parasite!”

              My arms dropped limply to my sides as I stared at him incredulously. He must have seen the hurt in my face as regret briefly flickered through his eyes. But then his expression turned hard again as he shouldered past me and got into the car.

              No doubt alerted by our shouting the others ran into the room. Anna shouted in anguish,

“David! What are you doing?” he ignored her and put his foot down. I winced at the sound as the tires squealed out of the garage.

              Moments later I came to my senses. I ran after him, followed by Julia and Chris. Julia shouted to me,

“What happened?”

              I just shook my head and ran faster. I was starting to catch up to the car when I saw it. It almost happened in slow motion.

              The car hit a patch of ice that was still untouched by the weak sunlight filtering through the trees.

              I heard his shout, echoed by Anna’s scream back near the house as he spun out of control. I was unable to do anything as I watched the car collide with a tree. The deafening crunch of metal folding and glass shattering hit me and I shouted his name.

              I reached what was left of the car as smoke began to billow from the engine. Without hesitation I dived into the wreckage. I had to get him out before the petrol tank exploded. I ripped the door from his side of the car and threw it away from me easily. It was more difficult to get him out. He was unconscious and his legs were trapped in the twisted metal so I was frightened of hurting him further.

              Julia and Chris reached the scene and with their help I extracted him from the car and ran. We were several meters away when it exploded with enough force to shake the surrounding trees. I barely stumbled before I kept running. 

              I only stopped when we reached Anna and Jamie who were running towards us. Carefully, I laid him on the ground. Anna let out a strangled sob. His injuries were severe.

              Blood coated the side of his head where he had hit it. It also poured from several deep gashes across his body. I was fairly certain that his left leg and arm was broken, along with at least four ribs. I wasn’t sure about his spine but I doubted it was in a good condition. He coughed up yet more blood weakly and I knew that he must be bleeding internally.

              The monster in me growled hungrily but I shoved it away roughly and stopped breathing. Now was not the time. 

              Anna collapsed next to him on the ground sobbing heavily now. Julia’s voice was carefully emotionless.

“He’s going to die.” Anna let out a wail and I found myself holding back my own tears. She threw herself towards him.

“David! David wake up, wake up! Please!”

              Chris had been standing farther back with his jaw clenched. I knew his control was not as good as mine, so when he moved forwards I was about to move to stop him when he carefully put his arms around Anna and pulled her back slightly. At first she resisted before sinking into his arms. He looked up and met my eyes.

“Unless…”

My voice came out sharp, “Unless what?”

“Unless we turn him.”

I was already shaking my head, “No! No way. No.”

Anna looked up at me with the first glimmers of hope in her eyes. “You can save him!”

“No! I wouldn’t be saving him. I would be condemning him. This is no life. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”

Jamie looked into my eyes, “You have a life.”

“Yes, after hundreds of years! But even now, it bears no comparison to my real life, when I was human.”

Julia broke in, “I disagree. When I was human my life was terrible. It’s much better now.”

Anna looked pleadingly into my eyes; “surely some life is better than no life at all?”

              I’m not sure if it was the desperate look in her eyes or my own unwillingness to lose one of my only good friends but I felt myself give in. My voice was hard;

“Get back.”

              I carefully knelt at his side. The others all moved back out of the way. I took a deep breath to steady myself, letting the strong scent of his blood wash through me. Without warning I sunk my fangs into his neck. I vaguely heard Anna whimper in the background. I didn’t take much blood, just enough so that the venom that coated my fangs would be in his bloodstream. With a huge effort I pulled myself away before sinking my fangs into my own arm deep enough to break a vein. Carefully holding my arm over his mouth I let my blood pour in until I began to feel faint.

               Pulling away I licked the wound, before clamping my other hand over it to slow the bleeding. I stood up.

“That’s the best I can do. He might wake up, he might not.” I listened to his heartbeat. It was still beating weakly. Slowly it sped up, racing faster and faster until suddenly it stopped.

Julia spoke softly, “It’s done.” I nodded before turning away and starting the walk back to the house, disgusted at myself. Chris stooped and slung David’s body over his shoulders. He was unnecessarily gentle. For at least the next couple of days David would not be feeling a thing.