To be honest, I was pretty scared by the thought of getting outside and I felt really exposed and powerless. I could barely stand on my feet. But even if I was disgusted by the situation I was put trough, I couldn’t wait for it to end and to feel alive again.
Again, there were just the four of us: me, James, Patrick and Noam who was driving the car.
We were going to start with an easy hunt which included sneaking in the most hidden places. I really didn’t know town well, but I was pretty sure it was a very small one. I honestly didn’t mind it , because it was the first time I was happy to be in such abandoned town, unable to be tracked.
James was the one to go first. We had already chosen our targets and we were quite ready. I insisted on going first because I wanted to finish as fast as I could, but Patrick suggested that it’s better to see somebody else do it in order to make an impression and to get some hints.
Patrick told James to wait in the shadow for and old-aged or a homeless man. He was supposed to simply cover his or her mouth, pull them in the corner, bite, drink for about 10 seconds and run. He had done it like a pro. The man didn’t even flinch, he just easily fell asleep. And so came my turn. It’s true that after seeing James doing so well I caught a little braveness but the reality was we weren’t the same. I had to drink more and still, it was not enough.
I hid in the same corner and stood as far as I could from the man that was lying on the street, where James left him. As my prey was approaching, I peeked over to the other side of the street to see a grey car with smoky windows, with a man on the driver’s seat who had a jacket with the initials of the Centre: DM.
I hid even better; still ready to catch my meal and I waited and waited… I wasn’t going to give up then. But I felt how I was starting to shift really fast and to panic. Finally, an old woman passed by, close enough to grab her easily, take what I need and run back to Patrick, panting and sweating all the way. I got so scared that I couldn’t even comprehend that I just fed on a human being. I had no time to even swallow the blood, so whilst running towards Patrick, only then I felt how I started to really turn to a full-time vampire. I felt like spazzing out and destroying everything that came in my way because all I felt in that moment was power and it was so intense that I couldn’t feel any other emotion. Needless to say I was already fully shifted and I felt my eyes and the back of my head burning like they were on fire. The thing I hated the most about being a vampire was that you were conscious of everything, but really, you couldn’t control anything, literally. Your emotions in the first place, but on the other hand even your actions, your body. It was like another person tried to take over your insides and it was rather annoying.
I ended up leaning on every wall on the street, trying to keep my head down, covering my face with my wet strands whose colour turned into a shiny but very dark, chocolate brown. I was pretty sure my eyes weren’t the most meek that I’ve seen, so I was afraid that if anybody saw my face, they would freak out and cause a scene, directing attention.
Still alert and frightened, I turned the corner and saw the boys at the end of the street. I couldn’t perceive if James was turned or not, anyway, he wasn’t responding to the blood the same as me. I couldn’t control myself enough to shout upon him properly so I just hoped that if he was still shifted he might have heard my whisper when I cried for help. I wasn’t that weak, I could stand on my feet perfectly but I think I just fell in his arms for the sake of being closer to him.
“I saw them, they’re after us.”
“Should I tell Patrick?”
I didn’t really want warn Patrick about what I saw, to fret him. I questioned if it was better not to tell and keep living the way we did, hidden and hard to find, or tell and expect him to take immediate actions, which I couldn’t think of any. Everything was perfect.
“No. We’re fine. Let’s just go home.”
“What about the traces?”
“What traces?"
All distracted by the odd drinking-blood-vampire thing and rushed to get back to the refuge, I never thought about the abandoned bodies that were waiting to wake up behind the corner, probably horrified by the amount of blood that was pouring from their neck. Wouldn’t that arouse rumours that could appeal to our hunters? They could’ve decided to stick around for a while and search the area in detail until they found us.
“The bodies we…”
“Yeah, I got it. I don’t really know. They’re hidden pretty well and it will take them hours to wake up. Maybe they’ll be gone by evening. We need to avoid them for as long as we can, hoping they’ll give up, and if they don’t, then we will let Patrick know.”
“Alright. How are you feeling?”
“Really miserable, I could say. I also feel a bit funny, but I’ll be ok.”
I looked at the ground, ready to feel embarrassed by what I was going to ask.
“James, would you mind sleeping in my room tonight?”
I didn’t want to be alone that day. I longed for company, and who else could comfort me better than somebody who experienced the exact same position.
James kissed me on the forehead and as his lips detached from my skin, he started shifting, growing powerful enough to pick me up and walk me in his arms all the way to Patrick’s car.
“Was it that bad?” Patrick asked coming towards us looking proud and completely relaxed that everything was done. I didn’t want to ruin that look by telling stories about two fugitive vampires whose deathly hunters were roaming right by the corner, looking for them.
“It wasn’t the best. I’m still getting shivers from this confusing state of shifting. I need to learn how to control it. I still want more but I’m not hungry or… thirsty anymore.”
Was I still able to eat proper food? Since I’ve turned I never really wanted anything but blood, except that right now, after I satisfied my cravings, I felt like eating a lot of junk food, only because I missed the taste.
“You’ll have to learn more than just about control. I’m sure you’ll get used to it, even love it. I’m proud of you. I’m happy you did this.”
Patrick pat me on the head and James on the shoulder and with a blissful smile on his figure, he got in the front seat of the car.
James let me down on the backseat and then got in, looking back one more time. He mustered a grin and embraced me with his arm, still trying to shift back to normal. I sat my head on his lap covering my chest with his arm and pulling his hand onto my mouth just so I could feel his skin glued to mine.
I really loved some features about being a vampire, such as incredibly accurate sight, hearing and smell. I got to study Noam better on the way home, mostly his complexion and his face.
He was shaving because he was a hairy fella, although he was blond. He had a nice face form, elegant and delicate, unlike the rest of his body which has been worked out intensely to become so muscular. He looked a lot like a teenage boy, not over 18, but only inside, because outside, he looked like a well-made man. He was all sweet and innocent, but I still felt like I didn’t know him at all.
We had finally arrived home. I fell asleep on James for about 10 minutes and when I woke up, I felt dizzy and drowsy. He helped me get out of the car, but I refused, determined to try to refresh myself and to stand still on my feet. Noam and Patrick let us know that we could rest for as long as we wanted and that we will talk in the morning due to his schedule which was keeping him hectic and unavailable at the moment.
“I’m going to take a shower and then I’ll meet you in your room.” James said, rubbing my arms and approaching for a short hug. Then he left.
I stood in front of the house, watching James running to the backdoor and then turned around facing the empty street, trying to shift. I wanted to hear and smell more, to kind of test my limits and to see how much did my senses improve. I took a heavy breathe, closed my eyes and kept all the air inside my lungs for about 15 seconds. Right when I opened my eyes, I immediately felt cigarette smell and heard soft steps coming from behind the gates. I think that was the moment when I slowly started getting warmer, although I was completely shifted and my skin was all pale and stiff. I, in a very long time, had finally started feeling something other than sick and sad. I sniffed once more and grew more excited when I inhaled the smell of blood without getting hungry.
I ran over the gate, sprightly to his neck only to hug him, making him drop his cigarette. I literally acted like a little puppy greeting his owner after a very long time of being split apart. He didn’t respond with his hug right back, probably shocked that I could stay so tight close to him, but when he did, he genuinely mashed me in his arms.
“Have you thought about it?”
Why are you ruining everything?
“I don’t need to think about it because it’s already out of discussion.” I said releasing myself from his grip. “We don’t have to stay away from each other anymore, alright? I fed.”
Adam backed off a few steps in surprise and blinked slowly, measuring me from head to toe.
“Yes, Adam. I fed and it’s better now. And I told you that I can take care of myself. I don’t need you to worry about me anymore.”
“So I might as well leave, right? In fact, I’ve done my duty; you’re safe and sound and out of the state. I should go back in Portland and wait for you when you come back, tied with rope in a van.”
That’s all he had to do, basically. He was a guardian; he got involved in this by himself. I would’ve wanted to see him leave because anyway he knew more than he had to and freeing him would also keep him out of trouble. He could go anywhere, not only Portland. I had James.
“He did this to you, didn’t he? He convinced you, your boyfriend.”
“You can’t understand…” I dared to leave.
“It’s not me who doesn’t understand, Andrea; it’s you who’s changed.”
I didn’t want to cry because I was sad but because I was raging. My eyes were itchy, red and wet and my temperature was lower than usual. This scene consumed me too much so I started to feel hungry again. Overall, in the end, when I turned, I reached for Adam’s neck, running towards him and pasting him on the ground. So, then, I experienced anger.
“Of course I’ve changed! I am a vampire!”
He wrapped my wrist with his warm hand.
“You’re wrong. You’ve always been like this. You just need to find a way to control yourself again. James is not helping at all. He’s forcing you, pushing your limits.”
I couldn’t believe he actually put the blame on James. Out of all the people, he was the least responsible for everything that’s happened.
“I won’t let you do this, Adam. I don’t have time for you, I’m sorry. I’ve finally found a point in my life when I can really say that I’ve settled down and I got help and you’re not going to ruin it.”
I left him on the ground and flew few steps back before bruising his neck. I turned around and as I was passing by the corner, I said:
“I won’t ever turn you into this creature, not in a million years.”
I walked until I stood under my bedroom window. I hanged by the wall, climbed the fence and with one easy boost I threw myself inside and landed on the floor. James was already there, sitting on the bed’s border, looking surprisingly at me.
“You heard everything, didn’t you? You really shouldn’t listen to him.”
The expression on his face was really heavy. I immediately ran to him, to console him, before he even got the chance to feel the guilt.
“There is literally nobody out there who knows better how is to be me, James. Why would you care what Adam says? I know it’s hard for him to not be one of us but because he isn’t, I won’t allow him to step into our life. I don’t want you to worry; I just want you to focus on who you are now in a peaceful and safe way.”
I wasn’t sure about how James was coping with this situation, to be honest. I’ve never really paid attention to this aspect while struggling to not feel sick because of the lack of blood and the unexpected vampire shifting. Until now, he was the one who took care of me even though he went through more horrible chains of events. I’ve never really asked him how he was.
“How are you?” I smiled.
“What?” he grinned quietly.
“Yes, how are you? How do you feel about all this?”
“I’ve been better, sincerely, but it’s not bad. I always try to see the good in things. It’s just that I kind of miss home. I was thinking about my parents and how worried they are, if they even figured that I disappeared. I’m not worried about my friends though, I’m happy I left them behind. Hopefully I will finally fit in this place. What troubles me is that I don’t know what to expect, you know, what comes next? I’m afraid I won’t be prepared and something bad will happen to me, to us. Also, I’m thinking of a solution to pull us out of this drama. I think this is what consumes us, I mean, we even forgot why we’re here.”
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve totally forgotten about my family, my father. I didn’t have a plan, I didn’t tell Patrick that my father has been kidnapped. I thought I was being helped but in fact, I was just floating into nowhere.
What were you waiting for?
“You are right, James. Tomorrow we’re going to tell Patrick everything and we’re going to push this start a little. I feel like we’ve wasted a lot as well.”
We both then sighed and looked into the floor, keeping the silence to comprehend all the things we were going to do.
James took my hand and snuggled it by his cheek, then with his other arm, rounded my waist to pull me near. I threw my hands behind him and prickled his neck making him giggle. Still smiling, we touched our lips into a pressed kiss at the very same time, strangling in each other’s embrace. What thrilled me was the fact that none of us was shifted and yet, at least I felt like it was as powerful as if we were. It was real. We were warm, we weren’t sick, we were satisfied and happy. I opened my eyes for a second just to make sure he enjoyed it. He was still shyly smiling and so I lost my breath and backed off.
“I need to take a shower.” I said letting go of his hand.
I closed the door behind me, took off my clothes and looked into the mirror. Nothing about me had changed. I wasn’t sure if I should’ve been disappointed. I was terrified to look at myself, seeing my face and realize it’s me, when in reality, I was long gone. On the other hand, though, I was grateful for having that part of me because it was the one motivating me to push the limits, to lead in anyway and to do something, basically. I was truly unstoppable.
I stretched my face with my palms and closed my eyes.
“I promise I’ll sort this out, dad. I’m coming for you.”
I got in the shower, turned on the water and simply stood there, almost falling asleep and thought about finding a path on which I could carry on. I had help, James and Adam were alive and safe and I was a vampire.
I sighed, thinking about the beginning that had just ended.
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I am a really unorganised and unpunctual BAD author. I'm really sorry, for real.
Don't leave me please, please? :3
heh thx c;