I couldn't hear a thing. I knew Lore was screaming at me to get up though, but all I could focus on was a searing headache. I spat out so much blood it made my throat sore and when my eyes finally opened a wave of never-ending anger consumed me as Noah squirmed off the couch. He needed to suffer for what he did and what he said and I would be the one to bring it all upon him. Just then the headache grew stronger. I had finally stopped vomiting, not because I felt better but because there was nothing left inside me to vomit. For a moment I was distracted from the anger and a whole new reality set in. I was pale, cold, and hungry. Suddenly what Leon had forced me to drink back at the motel seemed delicious. The memory of what it tasted like changed and I craved it.
"Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit."
The panic was coming from Noah. My headache was a lot less painful, but my surroundings overwhelmed me. Lore was hysterical and Noah was no different. He seemed to forget I was the one who messed up his face. Instead, he was staring in disbelief at the amount of blood that had pooled around me. He worked with Lore to get me off the floor and onto the couch. I wanted to be angry but was too tired to act on it. Honestly, I was preoccupied with other thoughts. My hunger burned in my stomach and though there was no blood left inside me I was boiling up.
"Call the hospital. Do something!" Lore was screaming at Noah as he fumbled with his phone. I watched them argue and drifted away slowly. My heartbeat slowed and a new feeling emerged. Fear. I was dying. I knew I was and I regretted all the things I had done and have not done. Like tell Noah from the very start how I felt about him, not bashing his face in some more for how he tore my heart out with his words and actions, not telling Conner how truly thankful I was for his help, not telling Lore how much I loved her and not calling my parents more often. I regretted wasting so much time.
My eyes felt heavy and the last thing I saw was Lore screaming at some other person in our apartment. Heavy boots approached me and dark jeans stood in front of me. Then I was gone.
When I came to I was sprawled over my bed. I felt the familiar, countless pillows and the beat up bear I kept dressed in a comfortable red shirt. I hugged it tightly in my arms and made a noise of satisfaction. It felt nice to be back in my bed. Thinking back on everything, it all seemed like a terrible dream and for a moment it made me smile. Until the horrific hunger kicked in. I snapped my eyes open in terror because I knew it had all been real. I panted in place, curled over my bed like some animal.
"Calm yourself. Drink this."
I looked at the foot of my bed where the voice had come from. Connor stood there in the same clothes as last night. Like he'd never even gotten home. He held a vial in his hand, its content red. I shook my head violently and closed my eyes.
"If you don't drink you will die." He warned me.
Last time I drank something from a stranger it set in motion the most awful night of my life. I refused to open my eyes and wished oh so hard for it all to end. And maybe if I kept my eyes long enough it would.
"Damn. Death it is. I shouldn't take pity to begin with anyway. I'd lose my job and my life along with it." Connor seemed to be talking mostly to himself, but I couldn't help but peak at him. I shouldn't have because he held the vial in one hand and in the other the same blade he used to decapitate Leon. At least it was clean.
My own thoughts troubled me. The cleanliness of the weapon that would most likely kill me was not important at all. What mattered was the fact that I was drawn to the scent and look of what was in that vial, but I was too afraid to admit to myself the fact that I knew what was in it. All I could think was that I wanted to have it and according to Conner, my life depended on it. He caught my look and shook his head before approaching the bed. He extended his hand and offered the vial to me once more. This time I took and sat on the edge of the bed and hesitated for who knows how long. Conner put away the blade and kneeled in front of me with a sympathetic look.
"Drink it. Everything will be fine." He assured me, but did I really believe the words of a stranger that not too long ago committed murder? No.
Admittedly the scent was drawing me in and I brought it tentatively to my lips. It was intoxicating to be this close to that scent that should have been disgusting but instead made my mouth water. This close to my face I couldn't resist it so I shot my head back and brought the vial along with me. In a single gulp, I downed the stuff and then gasped for air.
It burned all the way down my throat and I clawed at the bed sheets and held on in tight fists. Conner looked so sorry and it dawned on me that he had poisoned me. I cursed myself for trusting him even when I should have known better. Screaming for help was of no use because my throat had closed off and suddenly it all went black.
For the second time today I woke up from a blackout. I wasn't quite sure where I was, but when I came to, I felt the strap across my lap and chest. My eyes snapped fully open and my head whipped in all directions. Everything hurt for a split second and then it was gone. Outside everything passed slowly and finally, I looked at the driver. Connor had his eyes fixed on the road despite the fact that I surely had my own eyes fixed in a deadly stare.
"Stop the car," I warned, my voice surprisingly venomous. It startled me at first and then every poisonous thought nearly slipped my tongue. And even after that, Connor simply kept driving, like he hadn't even heard me. It pissed me off.
"Stop the damn car." It came out as a whisper and it was then Connor looked at me if only for a minute.
"Can't," he said.
"Why the hell not?"
"Because I did something stupid and I can't stop until we are far, far away." He said it as if every word he said made sense. It didn't. It confused me so much more.
"Ok. If you won't stop the car then you need to explain."
Which I wasn't expecting him to do at all, but to my surprise, he sighed and talked.
"The vampire I killed I killed out of spite. He hurt someone I cared about, not killed, just badly injured. We are not supposed to kill without an order and for a reason. Now I've got some bad people after me. As for you. I can't leave you behind. I have to take you in to be oriented."
"Oriented?"
"Basically conditioned to behave. You're one of them now and if left you to your own devices you'd likely become a ripper."
I wanted to throw up. In college, I took a class on vampirism as part of my seminar electives. I knew quite a bit, although I never thought it to be true. Honestly, I can't even decide if having some insight is good or bad. One thing that was enforced in class was that these creatures were evil, hungry things without any regards for human life. Is that what I was now? Soulless and prone to evil?
After hours of driving, we ended up in the middle of nowhere. Alarm bells went off in the back of my mind and looking out the darkness went on and on. We finally stopped and it was then I managed to see the warehouse. It looked like the kind of place to commit murder and get away with it. Connor must have noticed my panic because he chuckled and shook his head as he worked on getting out of the car.
"Relax," Connor said, humor in his eyes and then closed the driver's door.
I fumbled with my own seatbelt and slowly got out of the car, looking about me with eyes like a deer caught by headlights.
"Be honest, are you an ax murderer?"
He didn't answer. He chuckled and led the way towards the warehouse. The huge metal doors looked heavy, but Connor pushed it open easily enough. The loud sound the doors gave as it whined open echoed in the warehouse and I walked in hesitantly. Connor closed the door and suddenly I couldn't see anymore. Panic rushed over me once more and then I felt a hand grip my wrist firmly. I squealed.
"It's just me. Come on."
Inside the warehouse it was dark. Pitch black and it wasn't my intention to clutch on to Connor's arm, but it couldn't see a thing in front of me and my feet were tripping over whatever rubble was on the floor. It was hard to keep steady and then something amazing happened. My eyes adjusted to the dark and suddenly I could see so much clearer then during daylight. I blinked several times and with each blink my eyesight seemed to get better. When I could fully see I realized I was hugging Connor's arm against my chest so tight. I let him go as if I got burned and he continued to stare in front of him. I put some space between us and he stopped.
"I'm guessing your vision adjusted?" His voice was so low, so deep, so scary really. He was so angry looking, like his face was simply in a permanent scowl.
I cleared my throat before answering. "Yes. It's amazing. I can see so clearly."
"Right. Well I guess now you can walk on your own without cutting all circulation from my arm." His face was so stern and then it broke into a smirk that I was sure left me with flushed cheeks. I could hear the blood rushing to my ear and I picked at my nails.
"Sorry about that." I stuttered.
"Just keep to yourself, Vamp." He rolled his eyes.
Connor led the way to a door far to the left of the warehouse. When he pushed open the steel door, his arm gestured for me to enter first. That had me skeptical and he shook his head and went in first instead. "It's what I get for trying to be a gentleman. Come in if you want. Pray the wolves don't come roaming in here tonight. They are quite ruthless."
At that I skipped into through the door. What I saw within the room definitely wasn't what I expected.