Morning.
_
Bleary-eyed, I was forced awake by the memories of the previous night's horror that flickered through my unconscious. A shiver had traveled around my entire body till I could hear me breathing .
"Where am I…? What happened…?" . I attempted to speak from where I laid .
"You should rest" .
It became obvious that i wasn't the only one in the room. The voice was feminine and she didn't say those words in a tone of concern or care but authoritatively.
Curious.
I struggled to sit up and standing a few inches away from my bed was a slender bodied lady in a full black outfit. She wore a black crop top that gave a view of her perfect tummy and a nice belly button that had a tattoo just slightly above it. She was also in black leather pants and boots. She must really love the color. From her eyes I could tell she was Asian and from her face anyone could tell she was the serious type.
"Who are you? ...And why am I here ..?" . I had asked. It was starting to freak me out that I kept on waking in beds that weren't mine . She just smirked as she gazed at me for a while.
"Trust me, you have plenty of time to figure that out" .
She replied to me. It was in that instant I realized that whoever this lady was, we were not ever going to get along. I heaved a weak sigh and looked around. It was a spacious room with other beds. I assumed it had to be a sick bay but I wasn't sick.
"I can't be here. . Need to get home.." . I voiced as I took off the blanket, letting my legs down from beneath it. I caught a glimpse of her as she rolled her eyes at me. I ignored it anyway and battled standing on my feet .
"I see you have made our guest very uncomfortable" .
I heard another voice speak but this time it was a masculine one. However he got into the room , he was pretty fast but then i could almost swear, i recognized him from somewhere. My sight was better now but my brain still seemed to be booting.
"My apologies .. " . He said, placing a hand on his chest as he slightly bowed his head . His hair triggered my memory and I unsteadily rushed towards him.
"You son of a bitch!!" . I yelled as he lifted up his head.
The Asian chic came in front of him so swiftly . She must have been so confident that I was no match for her. I felt like falling to my knees but I held myself up the best I could, I felt my legs shake , it was as though I wasn't alright but I was just fine yesterday.
"What did you do to her you piece of shit .." I said, I was quite weak .
"I gave her life a meaning" . He replied rather unbothered.
"A meaning?! You made her a blood sucking animal ! She tried to kill me, you lunatic!" .
"You can't blame me for that , you both just have a thing for being in the wrong place at the wrong time." He said,
I wondered whatever he meant by that , I already felt the room spinning.
"Enjoying yourselves?" .
A fourth voice broke through the brawl. A voice I recognized. The Asian chic looked at me spitefully until she moved away.
"Just getting acquainted" . The over gelled hair guy said as he maintained a fixed gaze at me . He turned swiftly towards the other man in the room and they met face to face. It seemed they were at loggerheads. After a brief silence , Mr gelled hair walked away but Asian chic stayed back.
"Who are you people and what do you want from me?.." I asked him rather frustrated.
"I know you have a million questions , but you aren't strong enough" . He said to me .
"Strong enough? … I am.."
I fell to the floor . He rushed to help me up and then put me back on the bed.
"What's happening to me…?"
I asked .
"Your body is adjusting" . He replied.
"To what…?" . I asked.
He remained quiet , bowed his head and then looked back at me.
"I had no choice" . He told me.
I became uneasy and confusion clouded my mind.
"What are you saying…?" . I asked him with peering eyes.
"What he is saying…." . The Asian chic cut in almost like she was sick of the suspense as she approached my bed.
"...is , your bestie who is a vampire almost got you killed last night , you lost a lot of blood and if you didn't get a transfusion ASAP , you would be dead. Well you died eventually but not dead-dead." . She stressed. As she ended her speech, she exchanged eye contact with the stranger and I just laid motionless on the bed staring at them because of course they must be out of their minds .
"She isn't crazy, neither is anyone here. You almost died. I felt a pulse and fed you my blood. To save you. It was either that or I watch you die". He said to me .
"Are you both done?" . I scoffed.
"Know what? I am just going to go home now. " . I voiced as I made an effort to get out of bed again.
"You can't ". He said.
"Of Course I can, What are you going to do? Try to stop me?" . I asked rather sarcastically as I got up and headed for the door.
"You would hurt them" . He said. This made me pause.
"Like Mae did you" . He added.
I was taken aback again to the previous night and I remained clueless about everything. I slowly turned back towards them and with teary eyes I asked the stranger.
"What am i?.."
He looked at me and for the first time I saw pity and remorse in his eyes.
" what you make of yourself from here on.." .
He answered me.
Coming to terms with it was just impossible.
"But this isn't real… vampires are a myth. This is all a nightmare and I need to wake up!" . I said . Asian chic got pissed by this statement I suppose, saw her rim her fingers on her forehead like she had had it . She walked round to where the window was, she spread the curtains wide apart , and pushed the large windows open .
I screeched.
It was as though the sun fell right on top of me from the sky and I was burning to ashes. I saw my skin peel off from my hands , and I felt my skin fry off my face as I touched it, terrified by the sight and feel of it all, I could hear myself breathing heavily like I was saved from drowning .
"Enough!!" . I heard the stranger's voice echo through the room. He seemed angry at what she had done and swiftly he came in front of me shielding me from the sunlight , i watched my hands heal faster than anything I had ever seen. I looked up at him and saw his eyes were fixed on me. I slowly lifted a hand to touch my face and I felt that the scars had disappeared.
Asian chic had walked out and here i stood right before my stranger, somehow i felt safe, protected , not alone..
"Wear this.." . He instructed me . Holding up a ring he had slipped out of his pocket, he slowly fixed it onto my finger , he tried to move away but I couldn't let him.
"it's alright.." . He said. "Trust me..".
I thought I was going to burn up again, but this time, I didn't. Amazed, i stared at the ring on my finger and i lifted up my face back to his. He gave me a warm smile . Seemed he put magic on my finger.
___
Night.
Solitude...
Alone with my thoughts. I had somehow sneaked out of the building , not too far off though, just wanted to be away from the craziness in there. The grass behind the apartment was well levelled , and so I ran and ran till I discovered how far away from home I was . All I could see were tall trees from where I stood. I felt trapped on the inside and out. I thought about my Mom and Dad , how worried sick they must be , I missed them so so much already , it made me feel pain in my heart . The thought that I may never see them again, broke me.
I stood there, shut my eyes and took a long deep breath. I felt the wind take control of my hair as it danced behind my head .
"You try so hard to not think of her" . I heard the stranger's voice again from behind me. It was as though he had a thing for stalking me. I opened my eyes and sat on the grass without a word.
"It wasn't her fault" . He assured me.
"She tried to kill me. It wasn't her fault that she got bitten but it's her fault that i am here" . I argued rather calmly as I stared into space.
He proceeded to sit beside me with his knees up .
"It could have been you who did the same to her but the question is, would she have hated you for it ?" . He spoke.
Somehow I understood what he was driving at but my head was all over the place and so my brain didn't digest it well enough.
"Who are you to judge me?" . I asked slowly turning my head towards him and looking him straight in the eyes.
"Ever since you showed up in my life everything has gone wrong. And now I am here, stuck with you, you should have let me die instead of making me a living corpse. You all live like rats, always hiding in the darkness , I never would have wanted to be anything like you " . I told him. I watched him turn his face from mine and looked straight ahead quietly. He heaved a sigh .
"In the end , no one is ever really grateful or content . I do not expect you to be. As people we fear what we do not understand but when we become something more, we seek to understand what we once feared and when we are faced with the reality of it, we would rather lie to ourselves , or criticize" . He said in a low tone. He smirked turning his face back to mine.
"Not many of us asked to be what you despise . Most of us were just like you, unfortunate. But we found each other and over the years we have become one family. We also had families, also had a life that was snatched away from us, you can only find the strength you need when you stop giving in to denial" . He added. I was speechless .
I watched him stand up from beside me. He dipped his hands in his pockets , he was in shorts again. Seemed like he was doing it on purpose. I sat there trying hard to meditate on all he just said and it dawned on me that this man was seeing right through me, he was reading me like a book. He turned to leave but then I sprung up on my feet .
" Wait.. " . I voiced. He stopped .
"Josie.." . I said,
"My name is Josie.. Josie Gray, and i am not what you think I am, okay? All of this is hard for me.. and yes I am so scared of what I have become , because I am yet to know and understand what I am capable of, but please... if you would.. help me..". I pleaded.
He stood still for a bit, almost like he was contemplating but he soon turned back towards me giving me that dashing smile . He stretched out his right hand from his pocket.
"Oliver " . He said.
"Oliver woods.. and I don't think anything of you, yet. I only knew you when you were just human. " . He added.
We had a handshake and I smiled back at him for the first time . It felt like finally, the law of unlike poles had taken over. Somehow it all felt right.