Midnight

The Dangers of Light

*Justin's POV*

The sun's rays began to stretch farther and farther across the woods.

I could feel myself taking full control of my mind and body once again as the moon's tyrannical effect on me finally started wearing off.

Full moons were always the worst.

Ever since the first time I've experienced one, I've hated it.

I completely lose control over my body, but that's not the worst part.

The worst part is all of the murdering I do while under the villainous trance.

And then seeing all of the carnage after I snap out of it.

I hate the things I do to the woodland creatures.

I know it's part of how I survive, but it seems unfair to the helpless animals.

Not to mention Erin.

I nearly killed her at least three times, and I hated myself for it.

Sometimes the terrible things I do make me feel like I don't want to be a vampire anymore.

The peril and death I cause is the main reason why I live in the woods.

If I tried to live among humans and blend in with them, I would surely fail.

Not only would my instincts let loose, but they would stay that way.

Because the temptation of human blood is always too great.

I literally have to fight myself not to harm Erin...however would I function with more humans?

I shook myself from my wandering thoughts and brought my mind to attention.

If I don't get back to my house soon, the sun will burn me, and eventually kill me.

Why didn't I think to bring an umbrella with me when I left home?

My eyes started to glint purple, and my thoughts began drifting to blood lust, but I fought off the urge to kill the animal and greedily slurp its blood.

No more blood.

No more slaughtering animals.

No more death.

"Think about something else," I muttered.

Erin was the first thing to cross my mind.

I really do care about her.

I adore her smile, her laugh, her kind warm eyes...

And her blood.

I shook my head violently.

What is wrong with me?

Why can't I think about something besides my hunger for a second?

Why am I such a greedy creature?

In that very moment, I hated myself.

I hated myself more than I've ever hated anything before.

Erin didn't need to be around someone like me, someone who only cared about one thing, lust.

So maybe I won't go home after all.

Maybe I'll just sit down in the grass and let the sun reduce me to a pile of dust.

The world could be a much better place without me in it.

I hope Erin will understand.

*Erin's POV*

On my way back to Justin, I could feel something.

It was like a sense off knowing something, but not understanding what it was yet.

Something is going horribly wrong.

I know it.

Justin is in trouble.

It may not even have been safe to go back to him yet, but I didn't care.

My legs broke into a sprint, and pretty soon, they were leading me.

I had no idea where he could be,  but I never stopped running.

When I was sure that I was even more lost than I had started out, I saw a body lying on the ground in the sun.

Upon closer observation, I could see that the body had brown hair.

The same chocolate brown hair as Justin's.

I rushed over to him, and it was apparent that the sun was damaging him.

Long reddish-brown patches covered the areas on his body that were exposed to it, which were just his arms and part of his face.

The patches looked like scars, and upon further examination, I realized that he was bleeding.

The sun was searing through his skin.

I pulled him into the nearby shade of a tree, and he gasped.

He coughed, and opened his eyes.

"Justin, what happened?" I asked frantically.

"What were you doing directly in the sun?"

He placed his hand on my cheek and smiled.

"I don't want to be like this anymore Erin," he spoke softly.

The sun had weakened him greatly.

"Wh-what do you mean-" I started to inquire, becoming worried.

He interrupted me.

"There are things that I've done, that I can't live with anymore," he whispered.

"I don't want to live with a burden on my shoulders. I want to be free."

He breathed a lengthy sigh before continuing.

"I'm sorry," he finished.

"No, no, I won't let you do this to yourself," I shook my head.

"You're not going to die on my watch."

I propped him against the tree and left him there.

He should be fine there, he's too weak to be able to move on his own.

Meanwhile, I'm going to take an umbrella from his house then bring him home.

I let my legs guide me again, and the familiar clearing came into view.

I raced into his house and grabbed and umbrella from the coat rack by the front door.

Then I hurried back to Justin.

I exerted all of my strength and lifted him, hoisting him up to his feet.

I opened the umbrella, holding it over him and whispering to him.

"You'll be okay Justin, I promise..."

However, I didn't know if that was a promise that I could keep.

That's the end of Part 12 :)
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