by T.M. Mendes
"Another time. Right now you look completely exhausted. Let's get you to bed so you're not cursing at anyone tomorrow, alright? How's your neck?" he asked, easily deflecting her question.
She sighed as she rubbed it. "It's bearable." It only felt a little irritated, which was great because she would probably pass out from another bite with the blood loss. Anya then walked downstairs, studiously ignoring Darcy who was doing the same. Wendy rolled her eyes at the two, but then squeaked when Vincent had her in his arms, and carried her to her room. "I can walk," she muttered but secretly enjoyed being held in his arms again.
"I know," was all he said before laying her down on her bed. He climbed in next to her without being invited, but Wendy didn't mind so much. In fact, she lay her head down on his chest, much to his enjoyment.
"Tell me about that day. The day you were forced into the coffin." It was quiet for a moment, and Wendy worried she may have over stepped her boundaries. "I'm sorry if it's too personal. I was just wondering how much of the story was true and-"
She stopped when he started to chuckle, making her head move up and down. Fixing her glasses, she waited patiently.
"Always so curious," he murmured and kissed the top of her head. Sighing, he started. "You already know about Serafine. What I didn't realize was she had a little sister named Serryline. Only about six, if that, but she knew everything. Including how I 'hurt' her older sister. For a child, she was as devious as Serafine. To get back at the hurt I caused, she managed to track me down to here with a series of spells. I would go as far as to say she was more dangerous than Serafine. I was completely oblivious as to who she was then though. By the time she tracked me down she, was nine or ten, I suppose. She knew what I was and wanted to expose me."
Wendy's mind flickered to the little girl her teacher read about. Could she be one in the same?
Vincent continued. "She took her time. Waited for me to get nice and comfortable before she chose to strike. I was in my home when I smelled it. Fresh, spilled blood. I wasn't thirsty, but I grew rather fond of the townspeople and was concerned. I saw the body of a young girl named Patricia lying on the street. She was no older than fifteen, and I remember her father tried to get me to marry her, but I wasn't interested. I liked her though as entertainment, since she reminded me of my late sister. I held her in grief and was going to wake her family when Serryline came out of the shadows with the knife she used to kill her. I was so angry and demanded her to tell me who she was. She did, and to say I was shocked was an understatement. I was so fearful that she would somehow get a hold of the necklace that I ran. Left the poor girl there in the street. It was exactly what the little witch was counting on though. Soon I had the entire town banging on my door. I tried to explain but they gave me no room to. You know the rest."
Wendy was stunned into silence. "I'm so sorry, Vince. That must have been... Oh God, I can't even imagine. Serafine never knew about what her sister did?" she questioned and looked up at him from his chest.
He shrugged. "I have not the faintest idea. I presume not though. If Serafine knew, she would've moved me under her care as a sick twisted way to show I was hers. That's all behind us though, so no worries. If you have any more questions, they can wait. Good night, Firefly."
She boldly kissed his chest through his shirt and smiled. "Good night, Vince."
Chapter 17
Vincent
Morning came far too quickly for his liking. He licked away the small amount of blood that trickled out of her freshly bit bite mark. He felt her shiver and it made him smile, but he was also worried about how fast her need for the bite was becoming. He wouldn't voice it out loud, but it was definitely something to look into while she was away. "Be safe," he murmured and kissed her forehead while they were still lying on her bed.
She snuggled closer to him, making him smile. She was becoming increasingly more comfortable with him. "Can't I just stay here? I feel like I just went to sleep," she mumbled, already half way back to her slumber.
"As much as I want you to, I know you'll regret it later. It's the sleep talking, so you need to get ready." Vincent really wished sometimes he wasn't responsible, because everything in him wanted her to stay. They never had enough time together. She was still human with human responsibilities, which meant she needed to be up during daylight hours while he slept. Vincent was selfish enough to think he couldn't wait until she was turned so they can really be together, but he was also fair. Or at least tried to be.
Wendy groaned but got up, while Vincent lay back and thought about how adorable she looked. Bed head suited her, but he had to stifle a laugh when she walked into the door frame from only being half awake. Her eyes opened more in surprise and Vincent could feel the heat of her cheeks from where he lay as she grew embarrassed. "You didn't just see that," she muttered then scurried off to the bathroom.
"See what?" he called out in good humor. With his superior hearing, he heard her mumble to herself. He took a moment to think about how thankful he was to be paired with her.
She was back within minutes with wet hair and a pair of hip hugging jeans that made his mouth water, and a red top that brought out the rose color of her lips. Yes, he was indeed lucky. "What are you staring at?" she asked self-consciously and touched her face.
Vincent stood up and slowly walked to her. He could hear her heart speed up from his close proximity and saw no fear so he pulled her to him. "You look... there are no words for your kind of beauty."
She gave him a small smile in return. "You are such a charmer. I don't think I stand a chance." She seems to be in a better mood with a little more sleep but she frowned slightly when she looked into her mirror and examined her bite marks.
"Aw, Vince!" she whined and tried to cover them up. "I need to wear a scarf. It's getting worse with every time it happens. I mean crap, I look like I've received a hickey in the same spot for hours." She groaned and used cover-up even more. Vincent liked his mark on her. However, he knew other humans would ask questions. He flitted behind her, making her gasp and jump before blowing out a big breath. "Can we put a bell around your neck? Wow," she muttered before tying a scarf around her neck.
Vincent ignored her jab as he kissed the side of her head. "You're in a good mood," he murmured as he clutched her hips with his large calloused hands. She shrugged but turned to face him. "I can't explain it but I feel different. Oh well, I'm just going to roll with it. Please stay out of my things. I need to go if I'm going to make it in time for first period." She surprised him by leaning up and kissing his cheek. Now he was truly confused and for once he was stunned as she giggled and left the room.
Although he did like seeing her this carefree and light, it wasn't right. The Wendy he knew so far was a cautious sorts and never once initiated any physical affection, at least to that nature. It was puzzling and slightly unnerving. Shaking his head, he walked downstairs just in time to see her shut the front door behind her. Luckily the sun was just beginning to peak out from behind the hills, so Vincent quickly flitted around the room and replaced the blankets so they covered any windows. When he did it yesterday it was quite painful, however brief his encounter with the sun was.
"Darcy?" he called out as he made his way to the kitchen. His friend was there sitting on the stool, looking deep in thought.
"Did Wendy seem…?" Vincent trailed off, trying to find the right words.
"Annoyingly chipper? Yes. Made me want to drink from the short encounter. She called me Darcy-Dar." He shuddered and gave Vincent a puzzled look. "What the hell did you do to her? I know you guys didn't have sex. I would've heard that." He trailed off thoughtfully but ducked when Vincent threw a knife his way. Darcy rolled his eyes. "I'm sure she's fine, and if anything funny happens, Asher will be there to protect her. I mean, I can't see anything bad happening just because the sun is shining out of her ass. Unless... nah, it's too soon. Never mind." Vincent’s eyebrows furrowed as he pieced together the end of the sentence on his own. With a new sense of dre
ad, they both looked at each other.
"I need you to get Anya to pull Wendy out of school as soon as possible," Vincent said grimly.
Darcy gave off an uneasy chuckle and scratched the back of his head. "It can't be. It's only been what, a week? That's not possible!"
Vincent growled and punched the counter, which then broke away a piece. "Does it matter?! I was already worried with her increasing want and need for my bite. I don't know how, but it's happening so much faster than any of us anticipated. Pull her out now, Darcy. While Anya is doing that, we need to get prepared to leave from here. I'll pack her things." Vincent's words were tinged with regret and sadness, knowing she was going to hate him for a while. After all the progress they made…
Wendy
"You want to hear a joke?" Wendy said with a huge, almost creepy grin toward Jamie.
Her best friend gave her a weird look but shrugged. "Okay." Wendy clapped her hands together quickly as they walked to their first class. "Why did Sally fall off the swing?" she asked Jamie with a sly grin.
Jamie sighed, almost annoyed with her chipper attitude, but played along. "Why?" she asked.
"Because she had no arms! Now, knock, knock!" she said with barely contained laughter.
Jamie quirked an eyebrow. "Who's there?" she asked with a reluctant sigh.
"Not Sally!" Wendy finished off with a laugh.
Jamie couldn't help it as she laughed. "Okay, that was pretty good. So why are you suddenly all 'the world is singing' this morning? You hate mornings," Jamie asked when they sat down.
"I don't know, but I just feel great! Is that a crime?" Wendy asked as she pulled out her notebook. Yes it was strange for her to feel this awake at this time of day, but like she said this morning, she was just going to roll with it.
Jamie snorted but chose not to comment anymore on her friend’s behavior. When Mrs. Rush came in, the class settled down. Jamie was once again surprised when Denise gave Wendy the meanest glare ever, but the usual mouse of a girl didn't cower at all!
"What?" Wendy asked with a quirked eyebrow, but Jamie just shook her head in amazement.
Mrs. Rush said, "I hope everyone enjoyed yesterday's day off from working on their projects in here, but today we resume!" The class groaned, making Mrs. Rush roll her eyes. "Stop complaining, you cry babies! Now all of you need to-"
"Ah!" Wendy hissed loudly as her hand flew to her neck. Everyone turned to look at her, making her turn red. "S-Sorry, um, I just-ah!" She yelled louder when the pain intensified. Jamie placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort.
Mrs. Rush started to walk toward her. "Ms. Garrett, are you alright? Do you need to see the nurse?"
Wendy was going to shake her head but a fire unlike she's ever felt curled through her veins, causing her to topple over onto the floor and scream. Her nails were trying to claw at the bite mark where it was all centering. Oh how she just wanted to die! It wasn't a fiery type of burn, it was an icy burn, which made it more painful.
"Ricky, call 9-1-1!" Mrs. Rush exclaimed but the classroom door opened.
"It's okay, I've got her! I'm a trained EMT," Asher spoke with authority and by-passed the other students who were looking on with scared faces. Wendy saw Asher's face through her haze of agony just above hers. "It's going to be okay. Let's get you to Vincent. He'll fix this, okay?"
Wendy wanted to say something, anything really, but the pain had her body paralyzed. At least she had enough control to shut her mouth to stop the horrible screaming. All she could do was writhe in silent agony as she prayed over and over again to just let her die.
Asher picked her up but winced in worry when it caused Wendy to scream once more. "I'm so sorry," he murmured. "I'll take her to the hospital." It was a false promise that the onlookers ate up, because who wants a screaming girl in their midst? At this point they'd believe him if he suddenly said he was a ballerina, just to bring some peace.
"I'm coming with you!" Jamie said and chased after them when they made it out into the hall. Asher growled lowly. "I'm sorry about this too," he muttered before spinning around as he hit Jamie over the head to knock her out. They couldn't afford to waste time, and having her tag along would only bring up questions that couldn't be answered. Jamie fell to the ground with a dull thud, and Wendy would have been furious if the pain that now consumed her wasn't her first priority. Thankfully the halls were empty and Asher wasted no more time as he ran all the way to her house. They were there within moments, so it was an easy reason why he didn't take his car.
Kicking the door open, he yelled out, "Vincent! Get your ass over here!" He gently placed Wendy on the soft sofa but she cried out again when another cold spike of pain coursed through her.
"Shit," Vincent swore when he flitted into the room. "Darcy, tell Anya to come back! Wendy's here!" Kneeling by her side, he shook his head. "I'm so incredibly sorry!" Wendy had no words as it seemed to feel like her mouth was so dry that sand would come out in any moment. "I'll make the pain go away," he murmured and bent his head to bite her. The moment his fangs sank into her neck, she sighed in relief. Never has she experienced that amount of pain before. Usually she would experience pleasure from the bite but she was still feeling nothing but relief. Like she had been out in a winter storm for hours and had just stepped inside a warm heated cabin. Vincent only took enough to relieve her as he pulled away.
"W-What... what happened?" Her voice was raspy from screaming so much. Asher quickly left to get her water while Vincent took her hand. He shook his head and sighed.
"Your body is reacting to my bite much quicker than anyone anticipated," he said slowly, letting it sink in.
Wendy cautiously sat up on the couch and focused on his face. "What does that mean?" She knew. She just needed to hear it.
"The reason you were feeling euphoric this morning was because it's like the calm before the storm. Everything seems good and right, until your body starts to fight for something you can't fully understand. Darcy and I didn't realize until after you left. I sent Anya to come get you, but it seemed we weren't fast enough. Wendy, I'm going to have to turn you sooner than we thought."
Wendy shook her head in anger. "No! No!" Tears gathered in her eyes as she stood up and toppled over the coffee table in rage. She felt fine now, but only physically. She thought she had more time! "How long?" she asked, trying to steady her breathing, not looking at him.
"Wendy..." he started but she held up a hand.
"How. Long." Her voice was low but that was so she could keep it from shaking.
"A week at best, judging by the time frame of what has already happened."
Wendy felt like the air was knocked out of her as she exhaled sharply. Her knees became wobbly as she sat down on the cushioned lazy-boy.
"A week? That's all I have left? Get out. Just leave me alone right now!" Wendy finished by yelling. Knowing she needed space, he nodded with a hurt expression and left her. Now alone to herself, she buried her face in her hands as she cried. It was either turn or suffer that pain more and then die. She wasn't naïve to think she'd rather die, but she at least wanted a better choice to make.
"Oh, I see he told you."
Her head snapped up, causing her glasses to fall. Growling under her breath, Wendy picked them up and put them back on. "Go away, Anya," she muttered while looking at her hands.
Anya raised her hands in surrender and left to go upstairs but paused. "You'll survive this," was all she said before continuing up the steps.
She'll survive this? She'll survive this?! Wendy shook her head in anger at everything. The moment she thought she'd maybe start to open up to Vincent, this happens! She wanted to stay angry for a while and knew if that's what she wanted, then she couldn't be around him right now. No, she wasn't running away, she just wanted the rest of the day to herself. She hoped her body would let her have that long.
Knowing everyone in the house was giving her space, she quickly ran out the door and hoped no one heard. It was a slim possibility, but it could be
done if no one was paying direct attention. It surprised her when she made it all the way to the park with no one stopping her. Out of breath, she climbed up the blue, rusted monkey-bars and sat on top of them.
She'll have to say goodbye to everyone she knew. But how? Technically she can't just run away since she's not eighteen yet, but it's what she's going to have to do. Tears spilled when she thought of her family she's going to lose. Wendy thought of her mischievous yet kind older brother. Her hair-brained mother who cares and worries a little too much, and her father who always understood her without having to ask questions. How can she leave them? How can she write out the 'run-away' letter without having guilt eat her alive from all the lies she'll have to leave them with? What about Jamie? Her best-friend? Wendy hoped she was okay from that hit, but even in the brief time knowing Asher, Wendy knew it wasn't anything serious.
Maybe Wendy can put in her letter for Markus to look out for Jamie? Would that be too much to ask from someone who plans to break all of their hearts? So many questions that had no answers and gave her an oncoming headache. Her fingers curled around her necklace for support as it seemed her heart was breaking inside of her. Sorrow engulfed her mind. It seemed so impossible to leave everything behind. Wendy knew once they were gone, that was it. No coming back in ten, fifteen, twenty years to see how everything was. It wouldn't work well for anyone. Her hand slapped the metal bar in anger not knowing how else to vent. It wasn't like she could really talk to anyone about it.
Anya wouldn't fully know how she felt since she's grown up around vampires almost her entire life. No, Wendy had no one she could just get it all out with. Having that feeling made her feel like she was caged in, and the cage was only getting smaller by each passing breath. Looking up, she noted how late it's gotten. She guessed she must have been here for at least the last three hours. Her butt was sire, but her heart still hurt.
