Vampire in Session

Something's wrong with Edward. He sleeps under his bed and can't stand sunlight anymore. His face keeps getting paler too. Then he's sent to the hospital. "Anemia," The doctor says. But Bella saw the two tiny holes in Edward's neck.. [AH, OOC]

Disclaimer: No own.


Chapter 1: Nightmares

When one creates phantoms for oneself, one puts vampires into the world, and one must nourish these children of a voluntary nightmare with one's blood, one's life, one's intelligence, and one's reason, without ever satisfying them

~Eliphas Levi

BPOV

The week before finals was the first time I noticed there was something wrong with my best friend Edward Cullen.

It's a grey Monday morning halfway June, and there's snow in the air. Edward and I are both seniors at Forks High. It's exactly eight o'clock when I pull up his driveway and ring the bell. Esme opens the door. She's real gorgeous, tall with wavy caramel hair.

"Good morning Mrs. Cullen. Is Edward ready yet?"

Esme combs a hand through her hair and yawns. "I have no idea, Bella. I just got up. I haven't seen him this morning." She turns around, facing the enormous staircase and yells upstairs, "Edward! Bella's here! You have to go to school!"

No answer.

Esme shrugs. "Maybe he's still in bed. Can you go up? I have to get ready to meet a client."

"Sure, Mrs. Cullen."

"I've been repeatedly asking you to call me Esme, dear." She sighed and trudged into the kitchen.

It's deadly silent in the Cullen house. Edward's adoptive dad had gone to work, and just like me, Edward has no brothers or sisters. That he knows of. Up on the stairs the steps creaked under my feet. There's no sound coming from his room. God I hope he didn't overslept. Again.

I knock on his poster infested door. "Edward, we have to go to school."

No answer.

I knock again then open the door. The room is pitch-black. The drapes are still shut. On the bed lays a dark, formless pile. I groan. Edward has indeed overslept, which wasn't unusual. I walk through the darkness to the window and angrily fling the curtains open. I really wasn't in the mood to be late for school, just because my best friend wants to grow moss. Typical grey, morning light illuminates the room. I open the window to let the frigid wind in, curling the purple fabric of the curtain around me.

"You can get up now, lazy-ass." I turn around to face his bed and yanked the blanket back.

The bed was empty.

I frown. This is weird. His clothes are haphazardly flung over a small desk chair and his socks are lying next to his bed. I can smell them. Definitely not roses... It almost looks like he mysteriously disappeared through the window, still wearing his pajamas. Impossible. Edward can't fly, as far as I know. I looked back to the window again and peered outside. The pane is greasy, full of prints and scrapes. The guy really needs to learn how to clean.

Then I hear a soft groan coming from behind me. I turn around, and saw there was nobody in the room. All of a sudden a frigid hand curls its fingers around my ankle. I scream out bloody murder.

"Geez Bella, please don't make so much fucking noise." Edward mutters, "My head is pounding like an S.O.B." Still groaning, Edward crawls from under his bed.

"Don't mind me," I say. "Obviously it's not unusual for you to be sleeping under your bed, grabbing my foot with your frozen claws. What the hell were you doing?"

Edward hoists his lanky frame upright and lifts his arms, palms facing upward in a sign of dismissal. "Shut the damn drapes. The light fucking hurts my eyes." He turns away from the window, disgusted. I notice the white of his eyes is blood-shot red, as if dozens of little veins have popped.

"Have you been raiding Carlisle's liquor cabinet again?" I ask. Edward groans again and pulls the blanket over his head.

"Just shut the drapes and the window, will you? I'm fucking freezing in here!"

"At your service, kind Sir," I close the window and pull the dark drapes shut. "But you still haven't explained what on earth you were doing under your bed."

"I don't know," he whispers, his voice muffled by the blanket that still covered his face. "Just the last couple of days, I guess. For some reason I crawl out of bed at night, and wake up under it the next morning. I think it's because of the nightmares."

"Nightmares?"

Edward appears a little more awake as he flung the blanket of the bed and stood to gather his clothes. "I'll tell you later. It's late. We're taking my car." He says, skipping on one leg that was half-way forced into his jeans, arms curling around a blue buttoned down. It's a miracle we got on time for class. Edward had to skip breakfast for it to happen, but claimed he had no appetite whatsoever. Said he's feeling nauseous.

He's looking pale, even more so than usual, and skinny. He keeps squinting while we walked to our second class. Apparently the light is still bothering him. He doesn't appear to be very awake either; his yawning sporadically increasing.

"God I hate school," He complains. "All of my precious time, gone to waste. On studying of all things. Even at home they won't leave you alone. Has he been at your place already?"

"Who?"

"Principal Aro. He's been visiting the parents of all the seniors. He just appeared on our doorstep last week. No car. Really late too. Said he wanted to stay up to date of the home situation of the students. What a load of crap is that? Just because Esme and Carlisle aren't my real parents he feels the need to check up on me?"

I shrug, "I have no idea. Maybe it's a high school thing."

"Well, I think its bullshit," Edward scoffs. "I feel like I'm being watched day and night."

I laugh it off and tell him he's exactly the kind of person who should be watched. We both started chuckling at his pouty expression, glad he's feeling better. "Talk about overreacting!"

The day finally moves on to lunch. We skip the food and glide over to our usual table in the back. Our friends were already there. Edward sits down and rests his head on the cool surface of the table. He closes his eyes.

Emmett, a big, burly guy with short hair punches him in the shoulder. "Hey, wake up Eddie. Tell us about the nightmares, Bells made us curious."

Edward sighed and covered his face with his hands. "I don't know. Lately I've been having nightmares. Like, every night. Actually it's just a reoccurring one. About vampires."

I raise a brow. "Vampires?"

Edward nods. "Yeah. Every night it's been the same dream. I wake up in the dark. Then I hear some kind of knocking on my window. I get out of bed and reach for it. I don't want to, but I feel like I have to, like something's forcing me. I open my drapes and see him. His face is as white as the moon. His eyes are red. I can't stop looking. Then he opens his mouth and I see his teeth. He tilts his head and reaches for my throat." Edward suppresses a shiver, "At that moment the dream stops. Everything becomes dark and I wake up in the morning, completely exhausted. Sometimes, I'm laying under my bed, as if I'm trying to hide from my dream. Sometimes I even feel nauseous." He sighs and flashes me an apologetic smile. I reach over to grab his hand, squeezing the clammy skin.

"Fucking ridiculous right? Vampires are make-belief creatures. They don't exist. But at night, when I'm lying in bed, it all seems so fucking real." Rosalie, the blond, ultra-gorgeous girl sitting next to Emmett, gives him a look of concern. Weird. Even before she hooked up with Emmett she could care less about the people around her, especially Edward. Alice giggled at her unusual expression, her bright smile and over excited spiky hair instantly easing the mood. Alice was also adopted, like Edward. She had actually been raised with stories about vampires and werewolves. Her biological parents supposed to be from Romania, a land filled with old legends about the undead, creatures that are actually dead yet wander around, lurking in the dark to search for blood.

Even her boyfriend, Jasper, knows dozens of those types of stories, and he tells them a lot, right before it gets dark, making me too chicken shit to go home by myself. He claims there used to be real vampires, living in some mountain, right in Romania. But I know he won't say anything to scare me if Edward's around. Not if he wants his ass kicked in front of the entire school anyway.

All of a sudden it became perfectly clear where Edward's strange dreams are coming from. The school play. I shudder. Great. Even in saying it in my head makes it sound dark and ominous.

Coming Friday, the last day of school before exams start, the annual school play is being held in the auditorium by the freshmen. This year, it's a vampire play. A modern version of Dracula. A night out to enjoy getting the crap scared out of you. The whole school was actually looking forward to that day. Even me, but not because of the play. I'm not going, because the story sucks. Besides, it was Edward's birthday, something a lot more exciting to look forward to. Alice feigned hurt when I told her we wouldn't be able to see Jasper perform. He was the only senior acting out a vampire henchman in a freshman play. He even had to wear plastic vampire fangs.

"Edward, you're thinking about the play too much. That's it. Maybe it is better you don't come watch if it gives you nightmares."

"Oh come on," Jasper pleads, his eyes widening after hearing Alice speak, "It's my first time on stage man. I've wanted this for so long. You're not going to let those dreams ruin my night are you?"

"Back off Jazz," I hissed. Alice and Rosalie both looked at me, their eyes questioning. I wasn't sure if they were gawking my reaction, or Jasper's sudden outburst. I shrugged and scooted closer to Edward. "If he doesn't want go, that's fine. Besides," I squeezed his hand, and joked, "the way you're looking right now, I'm not sure you'll even make it through the week."

Class finally ended after Alice had been shooting me these weird looks. She called me on my barking at Jasper for teasing Edward. I scoffed, insisting I felt bad for Edward's sleep- deprivement. I could tell she didn't believe me by the way her eyes squinted every time I blushed or coughed whenever his name popped up. Not wanting a repeat of our usual dodge-and deny conversations, I reminded her of the play's rehearsal straight after school. The bell rang and she darted out, eager to see Jasper practice.

Though I could tell he didn't want to go, I promised Edward I'd go with him to see Jasper rehearse. He felt bad after seeing Jasper react so strongly during lunch. I'm worried, because Edward still doesn't look healthy. He's been sleeping in almost every class. At least it did him a little good, because he doesn't look as weary as he did this morning. As we left the entrance and walked up the square, I couldn't help but glance at him. His hair, which is always messy, retains the unusual bronze shade that he inherited from his biological mother, Elizabeth Masen. His eyes, once a bright green, are now milky and dim. His skin is smooth as marble, very pale, paler than usual and ice cold. I touch his hand, swinging it between us in a carefree gesture. His facial features are perfect and angular - high cheekbones, a strong jaw line, and a straight nose and full lips.

Even unwell, Edward Cullen could be described as the most handsome, attractive man in the world.

"Are you sure you don't want to go home and rest?" I ask him. We'd crossed the square and walked up to the auditorium. Edward runs his hand through his hair and flashed me a crooked smile. My favorite. I sometimes dream about his hair. And his smiles. Definitely not nightmares.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He twines our fingers together and holds our joined hands up in front of us. "Thank you for caring."

"Always." I whisper. Again he smiles at me. I hadn't noticed we'd stopped walking until Edward pulled me with him. Before we reach for the doors an angry looking girl storms out. Lauren Mallory. Before I had time to turn around, her saccharine, nasal voice halts my movement.

"Hey Bella. You must be here to practice your role as Dracula?" She sneered.

Surprised, I looked up at Edward. His jaw was tense. I faced Lauren again. "Um, no. Why do you ask?"

Lauren shrugged. "No reason. I mean, you're so pale, like you've painted your face so you could look like a vampire. It's a real improvement from your normal face. " She straps her purse over her shoulder and walks past us toward the parking lot. Edward shoots her an angry look.

"Don't be glum," I dared curling my fingers around his chin, breaking his angry spell, "It was just a joke."

Edward snorted disdainfully. "You're beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"I'm really not." I laugh, earning another scowl from Edward. "You do get extra points though for cranking up my non-existent self-esteem."

We entered the hall. I peer around the room, which was bustling with energetic students. I looked to see what was going on up stage and froze. On the linoleum floor three men were standing motionless in the light of a LED lamp, Jasper coming up behind them. No! The Volturi! I can't be!

One of Jasper's stories included that of the Volturi. The Volturi are an ancient and powerful coven of vampires, something like royalty in humans. They operate from the city of Volterra, Italy. The Volturi have existed for at least three thousand years, if not more. They are also considered 'nighttime patrons of the arts'; as, because of their inability to sleep, they study the arts at night. The Volturi act as guardians, keeping the secret society of vampires hidden from the human world as needed. They often send others to travel from Volterra to destroy overzealous covens from exposing vampires through mass eradication of every vampire and human present

I shook my head, willing my thoughts somewhere else. The play, Edward's condition and Jasper's horror stories were really doing a number on my mental capability.

Edward nudged my shoulder. "What are you staring so intently at? And why do you look scared?"

I jumped at his voice, tearing my gaze away from the stage and up to his face. Even though is eyes were becoming more red-rimmed by the day, and his lips an icy blue, he was still beautiful.

"N-nothing. I thought I saw Jasper, but I was wrong." I pointed to the stage but it was vacant now. In fact, a lot of kids were already packing up their stuff to go home. I was confused, and I noticed Edward was looking equally puzzled. There was no trace of the three, dark-cloaked figures I thought I'd spotted. Just three bats, fluttering under the cap of the lamp for a second, disappeared into the darkness.

"If this is some kind of joke, I will have his dick on a platter before sunrise."Edward frowned, looking around in case Jasper would actually show up. "I don't suppose you will mind leaving, do you?"

I scratched behind my ear. "Uh, I don't really care. I don't think it's a joke, though. I really thought I saw him, but I guess I imagined. Maybe it was someone who looked like him. Still, it's weird."

"What is?"

"Did you see those bats? They don't normally take residence at high school lecture halls."

"Gee, I don't know professor Swan," Edward linked my arm through his and pulled me around, facing the exit, "Maybe they're suffering from insomnia , or nightmares, like me. Let's go."

Right when we reached the gate, the school's night guard entered. Surprisingly, Forks High holds a lot of VCR's and computers. There have been break-ins several times, and every time some equipment was stolen. That's when the school board appointed a night guard to keep an eye on things after dark. He was a tall, dark-haired man with a hint of an olive tone in his chalky complexion. I suspect he dyes his hair. He always wears his sunglasses, so you wouldn't be able to see his eyes. Most of the time he is accompanied by a large wolfhound, joining him during property rounds.

I hesitate, as the man with the frightening dog approaches us.

"Keep walking Bells. Let's go home. Just ignore him." Edward shrugs my arm out of his and grabs my hand, increasing his pace. The monster dog lifts his head, growling and bearing his teeth. Three things seemed to happen at once: I scream and fall back, the dog jumps up with a loud growl and Edward jumps in front of me.

I latch onto the back of his jacket, preventing a nasty scrape on the ass. He loses his balance by my movement. We fall backwards, Edward right on top of me. I crane my neck to look over his shoulder and come face to face with a muzzle of snapping teeth of the wolfhound.

I scream.


A/N: Ah, I'm definitely playing this one out in my head. Alas, my corneas are burning by the 3.19 am indicator leering at me. Expect chapter 2 to be delayed.

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Drown me.