I don't sleep well. I toss and turn, dreaming unpleasant things about a motel in the woods, hanging bodies and a ferocious animal that leaps into the air to take a chunk off my neck. My eyes snap open just as the beast bit me in my dream. I'm soaked in cold sweat and I'm panting like I've been running a 5k. It takes a while for me to get back to my senses and assure myself that everything is alright. I look blearily at my watch and notice that it's almost 6 PM.
Sudden rustling sound to my right makes me yelp in fright. A hand sticks out of the sleeping bag to unzip it and Sophie emerges from it, looking tired and grumpy. Her raven hair is all ruffled and there are dark circles beneath her eyes. A complete opposite from her doll-like, sleeping self.
She spots me sitting next to her. „Hey," she yawns and stretches. „Where are we now?"
„Dawson Creek," I reply and hastily add when she turns to glare at me. „We had to stop here. The car is almost out of gas and we probably wouldn't have made it to Edmonton."
„And have you refueled it?" she asks, squinting her eyes at me.
I look away. „Not yet," I say apologetically. „I needed to get something to eat first so I stopped at a diner and then I also needed some rest, so I took us here for the night."
Sophie's jaw clenches. I can see she's fighting internally whether she should reprimand me or not. After a while, she exhales and she seems to relax just a little bit.
„Motel?" she grunts.
I nod. „It's just for a couple of hours and then we can continue."
„Doesn't matter," Sophie says indifferently as she flings herself off the bed and slouches towards the bathroom. „I need a drink anyway,"
My stomach drops and I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck tingle uncomfortably. Don't tell me. . .
„I've got water here if you're thirsty," I try to keep my voice casual but it still sounds squeaky and alarmed.
„Not that kind of drink," she replies from the bathroom.
„Please don't," I gasp, horrified.
„Don't have a choice now, do I?" Sophie steps out with an irritated expression. „Unless you want me to go all feral again and rip you to shreds."
I squint at her face to get a closer look and see to my horror that dark flecks have appeared in the whites of her eyes.
„The deer blood wasn't enough to sustain me," she explains irritably. „I need human blood tonight,"
„You don't have to do that," I tell her imploringly as I scramble out of bed. „I don't want you to go kill an innocent person,"
„I have to!" Sophie snaps at me, causing me to flinch. „I need that blood, Leia, otherwise I'll go ballistic and we don't want that, now do we?"
I shake my head, shuddering. „Can't we think of something else?" I ask, my mind racing. „You can have some of my blood," I suggest and I even go as far as pulling down my T-shirt and reveal my neck. „Just try not to take too much, alright?" I should be feeling brave but I'm petrified at the thought of Sophie biting me. But I think I'm a far better choice than some random bystander.
Sophie stares incredulously at me. She's definitely interested; her fangs stretch down from her mouth as her eyes hone in on my neck greedily. But whatever temptation she has, she quickly destroys it. She shakes it off like she had thought of something ridiculous. Her expression hardens and I can almost feel the stubborness through the air.
„I told you, your blood would be horrible for me," she retorts, folding her arms.
I feel both relieved and a bit miffed at that statement because I've got a feeling she's hiding the real reason why she doesn't want my blood. But I don't want to pursue it any further. Not when Sophie's so close to her usual grumpy tantrums.
„There must be some other way for you to consume blood without attacking anyone," I sigh in defeat.
„Well, if we had some bloodbags, it wouldn't be such a big deal," Sophie points out testily. „But I finished the last one before the ghoul bashing."
„That's it!" I exclaim excitedly. „We just need to get you some bloodbags!"
Sophie scoffs. „So do you think there's a bloodbank in this god-forsaken town?" she copies me in mock enthusiasm.
Mine deflates slightly. She's got a point. I'm not sure this place has one. Again, I reflect with great annoyance that's something we could have checked out with our phones. „What about hospitals? Clinics?" I ask, reaching for the last straw like a drowning man. „They must have some available for emergencies."
Sophie considers it. „They might," she mutters, her face suddenly appearing lighter and much more amused. „But are you telling me you're willing to break into a hospital and steal some blood?"
I tense up. I don't like breaking rules. Breaking them means someone gets mad at me and I start biting my fingertips till they bleed. But then again, I've been breaking so many rules these past days, I'm utterly surprised I still have fingers. Maybe I'm not triggered because there's no one here exactly opposing the rule-breaking?
I look directly at Sophie. „If it will stop you from hurting anyone, then yes."
Sophie grins widely, which would have been pretty cool if isn't for the sharp fangs protruding from her mouth. „Great," she says, rubbing her hands together in real enthusiasm. „Then let's get cranking!"
+++++
Despite the ongoing threat of getting caught by other vampires, Sophie agrees to the plan we had come up with together, with much excitement. I can't say I''m too excited for it; I'm supposed to walk into the hospital, telling everyone I had been attacked. They wouldn't have a hard time believing me since I'm still sporting the black eye and bruised lip. Sophie even suggested adding more injuries but I firmly objected. While I'm being checked, Sophie is going to the room where they keep the blood and steal some.
„And you can't hurt anyone, remember?" I remind her for the third time as we stand on each side of the bed, changing into new clothes.
Sophie scowls, rolling her eyes. „Whatever," she grunts before pulling on a dark purple hoodie that she took from my wardrobe.
I frown. I don't know if I can get her to promise to leave people unscathed but since she has demonstrated her stealth around me once, I can only hope that no one will catch her in the act.
I'm about to fix my hair when Sophie grabs my wrist, shaking her head. „Leave it as it is," she says, grinning. „It'll make the lie of being attacked more convincing if your hair is all messy and ruffled."
Now it's my turn to scowl. I almost want to point out that I did get attacked but refrain from doing so. So the more pathetic I look, the better? Well, it's all for the greater good, I think to myself, sighing and avoiding alltogether to look at my reflection in the mirror.
As much as I would like to forget, the events that unfurled in the past days keep popping up in my mind. Especially that one comment that she had said to me.
„Sophie?" I ask tentatively, draping my auburn colored, woolen cardigan over my shoulders.
„What?"
„What's a Renfield?"
Sophie pauses doing her makeup and turns to me with a quizzical expression. „Why do you want to know about that?" she asks. She seems a bit shocked that I know that word but also a bit intrigued.
„She called me that, back at the other motel," I explain, still refusin to refer her by name. The memory doesn't hurt as bad if I do that. „She seemed to think that I was one. Well, at first she thought I was a Sangue like her. So what's the difference between a Renfield and a Sangue?"
Sophie puts down her eyeliner, thinking. „Well, I've never met a Renfield personally but someone told me that they are slaves."
I gape at her. „What do you mean, slaves?"
„I mean, they do stuff that they can't object to. They can't object or disobey because they're most likely under a vampire's charm," Sophie explains matter-of-factly.
„What's a vampire's charm?" I ask her, feeling revulsed that they would keep people as slaves. Then again, as Sophie has reminded me several times, vampires are coldhearted beasts. „What does it do?"
Sophie hesitates before answering. „It's sort of like mind control," she continues to explain. „But you have to be pretty strong willed to do it because it requires a lot of eye contact and concentration to charm someone. Once you're under, you can't break free unless the vampire undoes it."
„So a Renfield is a human that a vampire controls while a Sangue is a human that willingly does everything for a vampire?" I recount, frowning even deeper.
Sophie nods. „Yup, pretty much," and she resumes doing her makeup.
I mull this over in my head. My mind runs wild., thinking that some poor unfortunate soulds might have gotten into jail because they were under the control of a cunning vampire. They are indeed truly terrifying beings. The things they can command people to do is frightening. They can command them to do horrible things and the poor people probably wouldn't remember any of it.
Wait a minute. . .
Something that happened a couple of days ago reemerges from the back of my mind. A soothing yet beautiful voice that seeped right into me, making it irresistible. It coaxed me to grab the shovel and swing it down on a ghastly ghoul. . .
„You used it on me," I reveal in a hushed voice, the impact of this realization crashing into me hard like a truck.
Sophie freezes, her eyes watching me through the mirror. She lowers her hand and sighs. „Yeah, I did," she admits and I'm surprised to see a look of regret on her pretty face. She quickly turns around and faces me. „I had no choice!" she defends herself. „You were a babbling basketcase and I couldn't finish the ghoul on my own! So I-I just gave you a helpful boost."
I remember the compliments and encouragements coming from her voice at that time. It felt amazing but I also remember being able to resist it in the end. „But I wasn't under your complete control," I point out. „I resisted it,"
Sophie scowls. „I haven't used my charm before so I'm not very good at it," she huffs. „You've also got a pretty strong will, Leia, whether you like to admit it or not," She grins at me. „But I'd be careful around other vampires though. They might be better at it than me."
I blink at the unexpected compliment and clap my hands automatically in response.
Sophie chuckles but then her expression becomes more serious. „I'm sorry I had to do that to you," she mutters, staring down at the floor, determined to not look up and see whether or not I'm angry. „I promise I won't do it again."
To my surprise, I'm not feeling any anger at all. I'm just taken aback that she actually apologized to me, without me demanding for it.
„Wow," I can't help saying breathlessly. „That's the first time since you've been apologetic to me in a loooong time."
Sophie's mouth twitches like she wants to add a smile to that apology but quickly desposes of it and resumes to her usual self. „Don't get used to it, alright?" she warns me, although I see a hint of a grin appearing on her face. „I probably won't do it again,"
I return the smile, though mine feels much brighter than hers, despite the tense circumstances, and we both step outside.
+++++
It's dark and cloudy once we're walking away from the motel. It's only around 7 PM at the moment which would mean that a lot of the residents of Dawson Creek are at their homes, having dinner. I don't know which I find more disturbing: a deserted street where you still can sense someone is watching you or a crowded one where eyes might be on you whether you like it or not. Now matter how bright and colorful the houses and buildings look like during the day, they still look foreboding and ominous once darkness approaches.
I wrap my cardigan tighter around me and I can't shake the nagging feeling that someone is watching us. Sophie seems unperturbed, strolling in determined fashion, her eyes focused straight ahead of us. I can only assume that she really wants that blood.
„Do you know where the hospital is?" she asks, glancing at me and noticing my fretful behaviour. „What's wrong?"
„I don't know," I mutter, eyes darting in every direction. I don't know why I can suddenly sense it, maybe it's the upcoming „heist" we're about to do that has gotten me so on edge, but I just know something's not right. „I feel like we're being watched."
Sophie immediately changes attitude. Her eyes flash, she takes on a battle-ready stance, her fists clenched and she begins sniffing the air.
That sudden change in behaviour only reminds me of her feral state and I can feel myself taking a few steps backwards away from her, just in case.
„I only smell humans around," she growls, her nostrils flaring with each breath. „Nothing abnormal, like ghouls or my kind."
„Well, Sangues can be pretty dangerous as we've seen lately so we can't be too careless around humans, though," I point out, feeling my heart sink a little as soon as I say it. Have I now become distrustful towards other people?
„Yeah, you're right," Sophie agrees, taking one last sniff before turning back towards the motel. „We better fill up the car, just in case."
I nod in agreement and hurry after her, hoping that this feeling will go away and I can classify it as some sort of paranoia.
We find a gas station within a few minutes and Sophie fills up the tank while I hop inside and pay the man behind the counter. He takes a few seconds, scrutinizing my face so I give him an extra 20 bucks with a meaningful nod. He raises an eyebrow but takes the money with a grin. I hurry back outside, my heart never easing up, and dash for the driver seat.
„Let's get our stuff too," I suggest. „That way, everything will be ready to go when you've grabbed the bloodbags."
To my relief, Sophie nods and we head back to the motel. She's trying to conceal it from me but she's just as on edge as I am. She's looking intently through the window, probably wondering if something or someone is going to ram into our car. Her hand clenches the handle on the door and her shoulders are tense.
I keep thinking if it's Matthew. He was pretty freaked out by me having a doll after all and maybe he wanted to find out whether I brought it with me for walks or something. I look at the few people walking on the streets and my heart gives a little jump each time I see a guy walking. Part of me wants it to be him but the other part is terrified of him seeing Sophie for the first time.
We reach the motel amd Sophie jumps out to retrieve our things. I let her do it since she's much faster and stronger than I am. I, on the other hand, feel too antsy sitting in the car so I step out and wait beside it, fidgeting with the buttons of my cardigan. As I wait, I suddenly catch a whiff of stale tobacco in the air and turn around.
A middle-aged man is standing behind the car, wearing a dusty, old leather jacket and dark jeans. His greyed, dirty looking hair reaches down to his ears in wavy tangles. His mouth is but a thin slit and the crow's feet around his dark eyes intensify as he squints at me with a determined look. To my horror, I see he's hold a gun in his hand.
I'm being mugged again? I think incredulously and almost want to laugh in spite of the situation. I still help raise my hands up and I can't help gulping down mouthwater to salivate my sudden parched mouth.
„You're with the creature," the man states in a hoarse grunt, like he hasn't spoken in days.
„W-what creature?" I stutter and try to remain calm, although I can feel my legs becoming jelly at a rapid speed.
„Don't fuck with me," the man says calmly, raising the gun and pointing it at my chest.
I gasp. „P-please don't shoot!" I squeak, my blood turning to ice within my veins.
„Then tell me where the creature is," he demands, taking a determined step towards me. „It shouldn't be far from here."
I clench my teeth together to prevent them from chattering and I try to keep my hands steady but it's hard. That man seems determined enough to do some harm. Moreover, he's really calm about it, unlike the coked up addict who tried to mug me a couple of months ago.
„P-please," I say imploringly, searching intently for signs of mercy or sympathy in that man's face. I find none.
„Where is it?" he asks again.
„Please, I don't know what you're talking about," I squeal helplessly, though unconsciously or not, I make sure that it's louder than before. My eyes dart towards the second floor of the motel.
The man taps his chin with the barrel of the gun, considering me. „I guess I'll have to look for it myself," he says and pulls the trigger.
---------------------------------------------------------
Le gasp! A cliffhanger!
Did the mysterious man shoot Leia?
You'll know in the next chapter!
I've been on a roll, writing wise these days so I hope I can upload chapter 27 this weekend :)