by A. D. Duling
“When your vampire see’s you in that state, you’re going to repulse him,” his hot breath hit the side of her face and she heard him inhaled her fragrance, “And he’s going to start thinking he’s above you, too good for you…” he snarled, “And then he’ll reject you.” He finished, satisfied with his deed. His breathing was heavy, but she doubted it was from holding her weight. His hands held her up at her ribs; firmly, but not harshly, “But I won’t Evie,” his voice returned to normal, his head still closely next to hers, “I would never hurt you like that…and when he does this to you and I promise you he will, I’ll be here, waiting.” He told her.
She reached up and scratched at his arms and he let go of her, letting her dropped to the ground on her feet. She attacked him again, this time knocking him over, but he grabbed her and pulled her to the ground with him and they rolled around, wrestling, until he finally pinned her and held her arms down.
Evie’s head was pounding, her ears ringed and she felt dizzy as she gasped in the air. “You’re running out of energy Evie, you’re body does not have enough fuel and your stomach is going to start hurting again and badly, until you refuel it.” He informed her, seeing her discomfort. She panted and stared up at him, trying to calm herself. He watched her, still holding her down, waiting for her to do something.
But she didn’t, to spent to give try, he was right the pains did follow, they teased in her belly, warning her of the more intense ones that would come. The vibrancy returned in his eyes, but differently this time. Her breaths slowed and her thoughts calmed as she stared into them, becoming mesmerized. Jonas noticed her relaxed state and leaned his head down, bringing those mesmerizing eyes closer to hers. She blinked as he came closer and then as he pressed his lips gently to hers, she closed her eyes and let him kiss her.
His warm lips kissed her tenderly, inviting her to want more and she did, for a brief second she wanted the kiss to never end, or have another one quickly follow it, but the harsh reminder of her reality came back to her and she remembered that she hated him. She ripped her wrists out of his grasp and pushed him off her. He fell back, surprised, he had not relaxed his grip on her during their kiss; a grip another would have never gotten out of.
“Sorry…” she went to apologize, but then quickly shook her head, “What am I apologizing for… you deserved that.” She told him and stood up.
Jonas laughed and looked up at her, “You’re already becoming very strong Evie, that’s very impressive!” he complimented her. She stared down at him unimpressed and he quickly stood up.
“Don’t think just because we kissed, this makes things alright between us.” She made herself clear, but he only grinned more and grabbed her hand.
“The way you kissed me, I’d have thought it had made a whole lot of things better for you.” He teased her, making her angry and she shoved him hard, sending him flying back onto his bottom.
She stared at him, surprised by her strength. Jonas laughed and climbed back up to his feet and raised his hands in surrender, “You are quite a force to be reckoned with!” he told her spiritedly.
She frowned at his arrogance and rubbed at her pounding head.
“You need to get some food in you Evie...” he told her, becoming serious.
She turned and walked away, “I can carry you home..:” he offered, concerned.
Evie swiped at the air, turning it down.
“You’re a very stubborn girl, Evangeline!” he called after her.
“Don’t call me that!” she yelled back to him and picked up her pace.
He did not follow her, but stood where she left him and laughed quietly to himself. This girl was going to fight this every bit of the way… and in the end create her “own kind”. Jonas was impressed with what she had demonstrated already and knew when she finally changed; he would be witnessing a great addition to his kind. He watched her departing back for another minute, before he turned and returned to his log.
With every step she took, Evie’s head pounded even more. Not long after she exited the woods, just as Jonas predicted, the familiar agonizing cramps grew and increased with every step as well. She had only been two miles from her house, but by the time she had finished the first one, her face was drenched in sweat and the pain had become so intense, walking was quickly becoming unbearable. When she finally reached the hill just down from it, Evie could not continue and had to sit down. She hoped waiting a few minutes would help subside them, but it didn’t and she tried to stand up. A large stab of pain shot to her stomach and sent her doubling over in horrific pain.
Evie returned her bottom to the cold cement sidewalk and clutched at her stomach. Just as she was about to lie down and curl up into a ball to die, a pair of hands slid under her and lifted her up; it was Nathan.
“Hold on.” He instructed her and raced up the hill. It was dark already, having taken Evie longer to get home, so no one saw the flash of Nathan running towards her house; too cold to come out into the wintery night, too warm to leave the comfort of their couches.
What felt like only minute later; Nathan had her seated at her kitchen table and was already digging inside her fridge for her meal.
He placed a bucket of drumsticks from the IGA in front of her and she grabbed one and tore into it. He went to the cupboard and grabbed a glass and poured her a glass of juice and sat it down in front of her, where four picked clean leg bones already resided. He then walked over to the other side of the table and sat down across from her and quietly waited. It took another five legs, to satisfy her hunger.
Evie finished chewing her bit and looked up at him, “Thank you.” She spoke softly, remembering him there and feeling a little embarrassed.
He nodded.
“You were following me?” She stated more than she asked him.
He nodded again.
“How long?”
“Since this morning.” He told her.
“So you saw what happened?” she asked him, referring to Jonas.
He nodded.
Evie looked down at the table, ashamed.
“I thought a lot about what you said the other night…and you’re right.” He told her, “I could have done something.” he confessed.
She looked up at him, saying nothing and he continued, “You were wrong about me following Jonas, I wasn’t; but I was watching you and when I heard him coming, long before you did, I sat there and did nothing. He had watched you too and I wondered why and waited for what he would do next. When he growled and made you run, I thought he was sparing you and scaring you off; but then he chased after you, teasing you, hanging back only a few inches away, playing on your fears and tormenting you.” his shared with her.
“When he scratched you, I knew what would happen and I knew we would have to kill you,” He told her.
“Why didn’t you fix me?” she asked him, calmly.
He shrugged, “I guess because I felt lonely too,” He spoke sadly, repeating Jonas’s words. She nodded and leaned back in her chair, she played with the tablecloth, thinking about what he had just told her. “I want to be angry at you, even forever, but I can’t,” she told him and looked up, “I guess because hating you, still isn’t going to change this.” she told him.
“Being a werewolf you still get to live partially a normal life,” he reasoned with her, “I will not force that decision on you Evie; whatever you chose, I will respect that.” he assured her.
“If I choose to be one of them, what about the other Benders?” she asked him, “They’ll still kill me.”
“Not if we talk to them, we can still do that Evie and like I said the other night, they are not unreasonable.” He reminded her.
“If they let me live, being a werewolf, would you still stay with me?” she asked him.
“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked her.
She looked at him, “A werewolf and a vampire? Come on Nathan…you heard him. I would disgust you; I know you hate their kind.” She told him.
“I don’t hate
them,” he disagreed with her, “I just hate what some of them do. Werewolves are not that entirely different than us.” He informed her.
She sat quietly, unsure on what to say.
“Have you considered being a vampire?” he gently asked her.
She nodded.
“And…?” he asked.
She shrugged, “I’m confused.” She told him.
“About what?” he gently pried.
“I’m confused on whether I should be angry in what you said. It seems that both of you are playing with me, as if a pawn in a chess game.” She shared.
“And perhaps we are,” he agreed, “But you are no more of a pawn than any of us.” He pointed out.
She nodded, “Yes… maybe, but I don’t believe we were meant to be played in the hands of each other.” she pointed out, looking at him.
“Isn’t that what we call fate?” he asked her, “Aren’t we in charge of it?”
“Maybe, but what you both chose to do to take charge of your fate, that wasn’t the only fate you took charge of…” she argued.
“Why are you trying so hard to hate me Evie?” He asked her suddenly.
“I don’t hate you.” She told him, “I’m just angry.”
“Then why does the thought of loving me, sound so bad to you?” he asked, taking her by surprise.
“I…,” she went, “I don’t even know what I’m feeling right now.” She confessed, “I’m not even certain if I do love you.” She answered him, honestly.
“I believe you do.” He gently debated.
“Do you love me?” she asked him, turning the tables.
He smiled and nodded, “I believe I do.” He stated, shamelessly.
“I believe…that doesn’t sound very convincing.” She pointed out.
He sat quietly for a moment, pondering her words.
“I would like to share something with you,” he finally spoke, looking vulnerable. “Perhaps it would help you to think differently of me and my kind.” He told her.
“Go ahead…” she allowed him.
Nathan then told her he was twenty- one when he died. His family’s home was attacked by vampires late one summery night; ones who had gotten the taste for human blood. They killed his parents first, then his brother and his new wife in front of him. They sadistically saved him for last and then left barely alive, leaving him to change. To live for eternity without the ones he loved. Minutes later a man came to stand above him and Nathan begged him to kill him, but he didn’t. Instead the man bent time and brought life back into the ones he loved, turning them into vampires, to share his fate. But there is always a price in return to something given.
That man was Michael and he told them about the Benders, and the obligation they took on. To live for eternity together, they must now work along with him as a Bender, to earn their salvation too. He told them he had been following the gang that had attacked them and told them how they must destroy them and anyone else they changed.
He told of t how vampires were meant to be a rare breed and should stay that way until the day they become extinct. There are rules even for vampires; they are expected to live in peace amongst the human population. They are not supposed to drink the blood of humans and if one does, a “Bender” will come after him. He tells Nathan and his family are one of the few last recruits, making their responsibility an even greater one.
They go after this gang and their leader, killing all but him. Somehow, while not looking, he takes Nathan’s wife, Amelia and corrupts her, getting her to think like him. She then kills a human not long after, bringing a sentence on her head. By the time they caught her, she had killed so many more and was no longer the same, Nathan barely recognized her. She was filled with so much hate and so much evil, feeling no remorse for what she had done. When they killed her, it had pained him to see her die before him again and to be dammed for a second time.
“I had never thought about love after her or even the possibility of loving another … but then when I saw you,” He softly spoke, “Perhaps, that is the real reason why I let him scratch you. In hopes you would hate him and what you would become and look at me and my offer a little differently.” He confessed to her, “It’s been lonely since I lost Amelia and I had long convinced myself I could live eternity without companionship,” he went on, “But what I did to you was purely selfish,” he told her, “ And I don’t expect you to ever forgive me, but I do hope one day you could love me, even if living the life of a werewolf.” He told her.
“I forgive you Nathan.” She told him.
He smiled, “Just like that?” he softly asked her.
She smiled and nodded.
“It’s because of Amelia I went along with killing the changed, over time I had begun to question it, but never did anything.” He told her, “You were why I went to them.”
“So why did you start killing werewolves?” she asked him.
“Werewolves date back almost as far as the Vampires do. The Bender Vampires came into play not long after. Unfortunately due to their rapid growing population, corrupted ones showed up more often in them than in us, leaving us not choice but to start killing their changeling’s right along with ours. This option of you becoming a vampire was a personal favor.” He confessed to her.
“You mean, you normally do not give that option?” she asked him.
He shook his head, “The ultimate goal is to terminate both species. If we allow every changeling to live we would never accomplish that.”
“So I never really had a choice before; you gave me that.” She realized.
“If you want to call it that,” He disagreed, “I was supposed to kill you that night, we were discussing that in the living room when you walked in.” he revealed to her.
“Really?!” she asked him and he nodded.
“And they didn’t because of you?” she asked him.
He nodded again. “Yes, but don’t think of them as murderous, from the start they didn’t want to, but obligation weighed heavy on our shoulders. After talking to you… they really like you Evie,” he told her, “They were surprised by your easiness about all of this, our visit to the others was my Dad’s idea, he pressed the issue of sparing you and got them to compromise.”
“They’re not going to change their minds about killing me if I become a werewolf are they?” she asked him.
Nathan became quiet and she knew the answer. Evie gathered up her mess and stood up. She carried the bucket of leg bones over to the trash can and dumped it inside.
“There is always a possibility.” He finally spoke.
She shook her head and turned around, “No there isn’t.”
“Honey?!” her mother’s voice called out.
“I’m in here, mom!” Evie called back to her.
“Who are you talking too?” Her voice bellowed down to them.
“It’s Nathan.” She answered her, just as loudly.
“Oh…Hello Nathan!” her mother called back to him.
“Hello Mrs. Patterson!” He answered her and then stood up. “I should go.” He told her, “I won’t be at school tomorrow, but I’ll pick you up afterwards.”
“Sure, why not.” She responded with lack of enthusiasm.
“It’s worth a shot…” He encouraged her.
“Evangeline!” her mother called.
She looked to the hallway, “Coming!” she called back. “I guess I’ll see you after school tomorrow then?” she told him and turned back, but found him gone.
Chapter eleven
And the countdown begins…
Focus for Evie that day was unachievable. The days were numbering down for her, a death sentence either way. School seemed to be pointless to her now; not sinking to a level of depression was her new priority. She had spent last night after Nathan left, thinking a lot about those choices; sadly neither still looked more tempting than the other. She doubted Nathan’s idea would work, but still hoped. It was a chance was worth taking.
The last bell co
uld not have come any slower. She was out the door to the parking lot, before it even clicked shut, already looking for Nathan. She found him leaning against his mustang, already waiting for her. She walked quickly over to him and smiled. Somehow seeing him, brought comfort to her miserable heart.
“You’re happy today…why is that?” he asked her, grinning back.
She shrugged; she hadn’t been happy all day, but she did not tell him that.
“They are waiting at my house.” He told her.
She nodded, “Ok then let’s go.” She told him and climbed in on the passenger side.
Nathan climbed in and looked over at her, “You sound optimistic, is there something you know that I do not?” he asked her.
She shook her head.
“Then what..?” He probed and started the engine.
Evie buckled her seat belt and then looked him, expectantly.
“Oh…right!” he got the hint and grinned, buckling his belt. “Safety first, right!” he teased and she laughed, feeling a little more cheerful.
Nathan backed the car out and drove off across the parking lot towards his house. When they pulled into his driveway a little after; a man was already waiting outside for them. He put the car in park and turned off the engine, Evie watched the man as he walked around the front and over to Nathan’s side.
“We have a problem.” He stated as soon as he climbed out, looking over the hood at her, “There’s been another attack.” He told him.
Nathan nodded and walked to the house with him, Evie followed quietly behind them as the man briefed him on the latest event. When they got inside, the others were already waiting in the living room for them as well. Sitting with Nathan’s family sat three women. The one on the far left was obviously older than the other two and Evie assumed her to be their mother.
