Naked Came the Vampire (Hypernaturals 1)

Swimming in It

I jolted back to the real world with a soft mouth on mine, sealing and pushing in air. That mouth seemed utterly out of place in the otherwise harsh, cold, crazy world. My addled brain did not want the mouth to stop breathing into me. Pressing against me. As I woke everything else was flashing light and freezing cold, but that mouth so warm and soft and inviting.

Our heads were barely above water as Helen paddled frantically with her legs and other arm. I coughed, threw up, and spluttered. Her strong hand held me above the water while I choked and gasped and wretched.

When she thought I was finally sufficiently recovered, Helen let me go, and I took over my own treading water. I continued to cough up water. My shoulders hurt from how the water impact forced my arms straight up over my head. Some torn muscles for sure. Weird parts of my body tingled from the impact, like the bottom of my feet and the underside of my arms.

It hurt to tread water. It hurt so good to be alive.

A very soggy Helen smiled at me, her chin barely above the water. "You should take your own advice. You didn't hold your nose."

"Dropped my feet too soon too. Probably should have let go of my shirt before I hit. I would like to say, for the record, "Oww!". Then with more excitement: "You know what? ... We're fucking alive! Oh my freaking god! We made it!" I rolled onto my back and floated for a second so I could look up at the sky where we came from. No plane in sight. I rolled back and looked at the smiling soggy Vampire. Her arms churning to keep her afloat.

Helen's fanning arms created down-currents of water as she tread. Flowing water that I could feel as the pressure waves dissipated."Yes." She looked up at the sky. "For the record, I never want to do that again."

"You... saved me."

Helen could have let me die right here, and her life would have gone back to normal without the troublesome male Vampire in it.

Helen scoffed "Yes, well, it is not as if I had a choice. If I let you die, Jessica would never have forgiven me." She looked a little sad, added "Ever".

The thought of Jessica never forgiving her closest friend and occasional lover over my death made me strangely happy. Not for what that meant about Helen or their relationship, but for what Helen implied about how Jessica feels about me. Being alive is good. Being alive and having Jessica care about me so much in Helen's estimation is great. Really, truly great.

Helen continued: "You were unconscious and attempting to inhale the lake. Vampires do not possess gills fledgling." Helen looked down into the water, and the lake painted light patterns on her face. "I found you about twenty or thirty feet down there, sinking slowly."

"Thank you." I said with sincerity.

"Forget it. As I said, it is not as if I had a choice. If you don't mind, shall we stop conversing and make for land? I am as buoyant as a stone. Five hundred years plus years of life makes one's bones and muscles quite dense."

I forced a grin. "I heard the drug guys complaining about that. Well, complaining about how much you weighed. They seemed to enjoy how firm your body is. It sounded like they explored while you were out."

Helen frowned in disgust. "I am quite sure they did. Fucking filthy arseholes."

I looked about from our current low and liquid vantage point. "Where to? Looks like we are about in the middle. The North shore looks a little closer maybe, and easier to climb out, perhaps."

Helen spoke as she considered the landfall choice. "At least I'm washing their filth off me. I am glad I was unconscious when they were pawing me. Nevertheless, they shall die for that. Sooner or later." She indicated the northern shore with her head. "Jessica's boat is on the North shore someplace as well. Let us make for there."