by Zara Zenia
I guess a part of me wants her to mourn forever, just like I feel I’m destined to. It also doesn’t help that my little sister lives on a different planet, far away on Desergan. She’s the only person in the world that I feel like I can relate to. Our bond is unified even through the miles that distance us. It’s not enough. I need her by my side. Without her, I feel alone.
I just want to feel normal, but I know I’m far from it. My thoughts begin to mentally harm me. I don’t have a shield to barrier myself from against the whipping lashes. The breakdown stings me and I hate the fact that I’m reacting to this recent nightmare in such a horrific way.
Panicking, I begin to hastily jog down the hallway, panting hard. I’m stumbling as my heart beats out of control. I run into another girl walking through the narrow passageways. Unintentionally, I barrel into her and knock the books she’s carrying to the floor. They hit the concrete floor with a crashing sound.
“I’m so sorry,” I yelp, but I make no attempts to help her pick up her things. I know that if I lean over I’ll pass out. I’m too far gone into my frenzied state of mind. I need fresh air so that my lungs won’t collapse. I need to find the light before the tunnel of darkness swallows me whole.
Chapter Eight
Roger
Before I can see or hear Katie barreling from around the corner of the building, I can smell her. Her blood is ripe, fresh and tantalizing, making my mind swirl in a frenzy of desire. I know I have a more pressing matter at hand. I’m attracted to her for more than just her blood.
She is cute and sexy. Even though I don’t share the mutuality of a human body with her anymore, I still occasionally get those natural human desires that once made my instincts crave the companionship of an attractive female.
My senses are already heightened and magnified from being a recently turned vampire. I hear Katie sniff. The scent of her perfume mixes with the smell of her blood as both waft and fill my nostrils with alluring and zesty appeal.
Before she knows what’s happening, I grip her arm with both a sense of purpose and control. I’m already blocking her path before she can scurry in any other direction. I come out of nowhere, bombarding her when she least expects it. I’m not trying to capture her, but I need her to follow my instructions.
I’m driven with a new goal and it’s to prevent her from screaming out in alarm. “Shh…” I warn and give her a bold glance that immediately silences her and makes her recoil slightly. She lets out a microscopic yelp.
I give her a lecturing glance and tsk by clicking my tongue. “You don’t want to scream, I promise you that,” I warn.
Katie opens her mouth to gasp anyway against my suggestion, but her face instantly flushes as she glances around. I know what’s she’s trying to do. She’s scoping the area for witnesses, somebody for which she can plead and cry for help.
“I just want to talk,” I reassure her in a soothing and pacifying voice.
Katie shifts her eyes back to me. She has just enough curiosity looming inside of the flicker of her blue eyes to keep me satisfied that she won’t run away. Plus, I have the ultimate grip over her arm. I’m holding onto her just tightly enough that she can’t get away, but not enough to where I’m hurting her.
“I promise I won’t hurt you,” I whisper again hoping to convince her.
Katie’s eyes search mine as if she’s looking for answers that both of us know I can’t provide her right now. Her brow furrows with skepticism.
“So, can we?” I whisper again, glancing around with paranoia and hoping that nobody walks past us and becomes suspicious.
“Can we what?” Katie asks.
I’m thankful that she’s not screaming and flailing, or worse, kicking me while trying to get away. “Go somewhere more private to talk,” I remind her and tense my muscles, gearing up for a denial type of reaction from her.
Katie flicks her eyes around the campus. She’s apprehensive. I know that her wiring as a young female in a world like this has her doubting a vampire like me. It’s not exactly an alluring situation and for the moment she has nothing to gain. But there’s something in her eyes, a spark of curiosity that gives me a sense of hopefulness.
“I don’t know…” she trails off wearily.
“Come on, Katie.” I grip her tighter, even though I still don’t intend to hurt her. I’m not giving up without a fight. I don’t exactly have an unending bounty of options here or chances to get this right.
I watch with dread as Katie’s eyes suddenly well up with a pool of hot tears that trickle down her cheeks. The tears mirror fear and trepidation. She chokes back a sob and inhales sharply, swiftly wiping her nose. I know she’s trying to compose herself.
“I promise, this will not be unpleasant for you,” I tell her again. This time, I gently lift her chin and stare at her so intensely that it forces her to meet my gaze.
Katie remains stoically silent. I know she’s muddling over whether to run, but she’ll never be able to escape my clutch and she knows it. Even if she were to somehow break free of my hard lock on her, I’d be able to catch up to her within seconds. It just comes with the territory of being a vampire. I have strength now that far surpasses that of even the most physically fit human male or female out there.
A group of students walk by. I pretend to kiss Katie by pressing her up against the wall. Katie recoils slightly, but her face is partially hidden to where she wouldn’t draw attention to herself or alarm to the students passing through.
As soon as they out of sight and earshot, disappearing from view, I turn to Katie and gently pull away.
“Good girl,” I whisper again and place a finger to her full lips.
She’s sensual, even through the trembling of fear that I can feel as her muscles visibly quiver. I don’t want to hurt her, and I certainly don’t want to give her a sense that I will ever do anything to cause her to get in harm’s way.
It’s extremely difficult to prevent myself from taking a huge bite out of her neck that’s pulsing with rich and healthy human blood, but I have strong willpower.
Katie glances up at me as if she’s confused by my behavior. “Why didn’t you bite me just now?” she asks with a flare of cynicism.
I don’t respond with words. I simply grin at her with a sly expression as I ease up on my hold on her, but still make sure to grab her tightly enough to where she can’t get a burst of energy and scamper off.
“I just want to talk,” I say again in an appealing, charming manner.
“I will miss my classes.” Katie glances at the building behind us and points a thumb in the general direction of the classrooms contained within.
“You can catch up, and I’ll help you,” I tell her. I will spout out any words that I know she’ll want to hear, as long as it gets her to follow me right now.
Katie frowns. She’s still not sold on the whole idea of coming with me. I shift my weight. I know I need to play my ace card. I lean in close to her, inhaling the scent of her fresh blood and perfume that makes my mouth water with longing.
“Do you want your nightmares to stop?” I raise an eyebrow as I stare into her ocean blue eyes.
A look of puzzlement flashes across her face that quickly dissipates into recognition. Katie passively nods her head as another hoard of students file past us. She glances back at me.
“You don’t want to make a scene, do you?” I warn.
“No,” she whispers with a hard swallow.
“You don’t want to make this situation any harder on yourself either, do you?” I know I’m reeling her in now.
“No.” She shakes her head again.
“And the nightmares?” I question.
Katie glances up and down the courtyard. Her eyes are tainted with paranoia. “They are horrifying,” she squeaks.
“Then you most definitely need to come with me.” My proposition is more like a command as I graze my fingers down her arm. I notice chill bumps prickling on her skin. I finally clamp my hand over hers. “Let’s go
. We don’t have much time.”
Chapter Nine
Roger
I walk in front of Katie. This part is essential. I need to make sure to dodge anything threatening that might come our way. She won’t be prepared, but I will be. If anything, I’m going to be even more prepared than usual because I have to look out for not only myself, but for Katie too.
I feel the intense need to sneak a glance behind me every so often to make sure she’s still following me. I can’t have a human girl running off without my consent, especially if she gains distance between us before I even realize she’s missing.
“Everything alright?” I give her a warm smile to coax her along as we stroll.
She glances at the ground and sniffs before answering me. “Yeah. I mean um…I guess so.”
“Good.” I look up at the sun that’s peeking behind a few white, fluffy clouds, giving it an illuminating glow of gold and bright yellow tints.
I mentally kick myself for not tying Katie up at the wrists first and dragging her along by a rope or something. At any rate, I know that won’t help me plead my case either if I make her assume or feel like she’s my prisoner, going as a captive against her will.
She’s voluntarily following behind me. I didn’t force her. Although, I didn’t really give her an option to just walk away either. I think she understands for the both of us that if she had declined my offer things wouldn’t be going as favorably for her as they are right now. It’s much better to be a team player than to resist something you won’t be able to battle off anyway.
“Let me know if you want to take a break or anything,” I offer with another dodgy look over my shoulder. “I don’t mind stopping,” I add. This is only a partial truth. In reality, we don’t have much time left and we must keep trekking forward as long as her delicate human body will allow without a rest time.
“I’m fine.” Katie’s voice is stoic and tough.
I give her a wide and beaming smile. “I have to say, I admire your resilience.”
“Whatever,” Katie mumbles under her breath.
I know she means to retort in such a hushed voice that I won’t hear her, but I have reflexive hearing now and ample senses that can’t be compared to that of a human’s.
I let it go and allow her to have the last solidifying word for now, or at least let her think that she has the last word in the conversation. I know we will continue having to converse every now and then. The journey is long, and the silence between us makes my skin crawl.
I’m usually the quiet one when it comes to Carl and me. He’s much more hyper and high strung than I am, but on the negative side he’s also extremely anxious all the time. Normally, I have to swoop in and become the grounded one of the two of us when it comes to decision making.
Tossing a glance back at Katie, I marvel at how remarkably stunning she is. She has a slender build, but she has curves in just the right places. I observe her for a few seconds, watching the way the muscles in her thighs and calves tighten with her movements.
“Do you work out?” I don’t know why I blurt that question out of nowhere. If I were human, I would probably be blushing right now.
Katie wrinkles her nose and gives me a look as if she’s sucking on something sour, like a lemon. “What?”
“Nothing.” I glance forward ahead of us once again.
“Did you just ask me if I work out?” Katie’s voice is squeaky with amusement. It makes me feel superficial and odd, as if we are engaging in somewhat of a normal conversation even though in reality, that’s further from the truth than imaginable.
I flop my hands by my side and shrug. “Well I just wondered…you have an impressive physique.” I have to bite my tongue and resist the urge to tread the waters with the word ‘sexy.’
Katie is sexy, but I don’t want to tell her that. Girls get distracted with compliments, and I’m already walking on shaky territory with her.
I’m just trying to pass the time and fill the void of awkward silence between us. It might also aid in my efforts to calm her down and lower her inhibitions. Maybe if she lets down her guard a little, I will have an easier time getting her to cooperate.
“I work out sometimes,” Katie admits and glances up at the sky. At least it isn’t raining today. That wouldn’t make for very pleasurable walking travels.
I also know that the only reason Katie is agreeable to following a vampire into the woods is because I mentioned the nightmares. The lightbulb of recognition in her eyes at the mere mention of the very word had been enough to make my inside’s quiver. Katie knows she’s taking a risk by following me, but to be fair if she had given me trouble about it I probably would have forced her to come with me anyway. Deep down, I know Katie understands that too.
For now, it’s just an unspoken and civilized agreement we have, and I hope that we can remain in this kind of tranquil bubble for as long as we can. I’m getting nervous with each step we take, but I can’t let on to Katie that anything is out of the ordinary.
I glance behind me again. Katie is absorbing her surroundings with a curious look of wonderment etching across her face. I open my mouth to say something, but then think better of it. She looks distracted, lost in the oblivion of her own thoughts. I don’t want to disturb her, or worse, make her think about her choices to come with me.
I find it very peculiar, yet interesting that Katie agreed to come with me without fleeing or making a scene. Something intense is going on within her soul, and I need to find out what it is. Not to rob it so to speak, but I need to saturate her mind and discover what is going on inside of her brain.
“Everything okay?” I ask after a time.
Katie is red faced and panting profusely, but she refuses to complain. I’m not sure whether to admire her for this trait of sturdy agility that she’s emitting or be suspicious that something else underlying is happening.
“I’m fine,” Katie states again with a flare of nobility in her voice.
“Okay…” I trail off with concern. I’m hardly convinced, but it’s vital that Katie will need to be as strong as she possibly can, even if she’s not prepared for what inevitably lies ahead for her.
Chapter Ten
Katie
The first thing I notice is how the atmosphere is growing dark, a shade more on the bleak side as afternoon fizzles into a dusk that hides in shadows behind the buildings. I feel like we have been walking for hours. The minutes morph into a taunting, ticking eternity.
My breath is sharp and puffy as I gasp to inhale fresh batches of glorious oxygen. I’m panting and red faced, parched and thirsty. I fantasize about gulping down at least ten gallons of ice water that refreshingly cools my searing throat. If someone were to dump a bucket of Gatorade over my head, I would certainly welcome the favor.
The more I think about getting something to drink, the thirstier I become. Why can’t we take a taxi, or the subway? The L train is only a few blocks from us now. My tired, aching heels are swelling to twice their normal size. My calves throb and protest with every stride I take. My legs become heavy as my shoes shuffle across the pavement.
Roger looks over his shoulder. His eyes enlarge with alarm as he scrutinizes my undoubtedly tired and worn appearance. I don’t need a mirror to know that my exhaustion is not only wreaking havoc on my physical appearance, but my mental capacity as well.
“Need a break?” His left eyebrow skirts into a perfect arch of inquisitiveness.
I gulp. I take a deep breath and then swallow hard again. “Nope.” Shaking my head defiantly, I press forward. I keep walking because I want to have the upper hand here. I’ll never crack in the presence of a vampire. If I emanate any sense of weakness, that will hopelessly spiral into my inevitable downfall.
“Are you sure?” He appears less than convinced by my testament.
“Yes.” I don’t even realize that I’m grinding my teeth until my response hisses from my tongue like a growl. My insides feel scratchy and unnerved.
We walk
along in silence as people shuffle past us. There are a million circumstances whirling through my head like ocean waves crashing to the shore. None of the ideas my imagination sparks up have happy endings.
My life begins to flash before my eyes in fragments, just like people tell you in the movies or like how they say it will be right before you are about to die. My pulse races, but for a different reason this time other than sheer exhaustion.
I’m scared, but I can’t let Roger become aware of that fact. I need to keep my poker face front and center if I want to survive this. There are a few outcomes to this, and I want to still be alive, living and breathing at the end of all this.
I can gauge an idea in my head of what Roger’s ultimate goal is. A boost of endurance shoots through my veins like a bolt of lightning. I don’t have a clue where the rush of adrenaline is coming from, but I’ll take what I can get.
Courage balls my fists in defensive anger and my cheeks flush with heat of trepidation. I charge in front of Roger and glare at him. He stares at me in confusion and halts in his tracks.
“What?” he asks with a slight edge of annoyance tinged in his voice.
“I know what you are trying to do,” I warn.
We stare at each other for a few moments. I’m sizing him up, and he’s doing the same to me. Who is bluffing, and who is going to crack first? It’s a showdown.
“What am I thinking of doing?” He folds his arms over his chest and smirks at me.
I don’t appreciate his smug arrogance. I hate his self-absorbed confidence. He’s looking at me as if I’m the inferior race here and not him.
