They kept swarming around me. The grim I had to kill for my test grade had been a strange bat-like grim, but when I found it ,it flew at me before splitting into several hundred tiny bats. I wasn't making any progress with killing the swarm, every time I killed one or two of them they just split up again. they kept biting me over and over the bites only hurt for a little bit the pain in each one quickly died out. but with each bite, it got a lot harder to swing and grip my rapier. it wasn't til I swung and accidently through my rapier that I realized my arms,legs and pretty much anywhere else with a bite was getting numb. as if the grim could tell they all came at me from one side sending me spiraling onto the snow covered ground. I tried to get up but I could no longer move my arms or legs and that's when the fear really set in. To my demise I saw the bats regrouping getting ready to strike... and that was the moment I realized I was going to die, the true terror of death was settling in as I realized this could have been avoided if I had been better prepared or informed of just waited longer for a better mission, will Ruby, Yang, and Blake ever know what happened to me. but that was too late now the swarm was backing up ready to strike the final blow... I closed my eyes tight waiting for death to take me... I heard the wings fluttering... I heard the wind rushing... then loud flapping ... then nothing... death never came.
I opened my eyes to see the large bat grim the little ones came from dangling from a branch a couple feet above me, staring into my eyes. it quickly flew away leaving only one thing in a branch that should have been empty but was occupied by a tall pale old man in dark clothing. I struggled to ask the question of who he was all I got out was "w-who~?".
he put a finger up to his lips "shh,child we don't have much time." He hopped down and landed next to me. "To be honest I was wanting someone better but you'll have to do the time is perfect and I really can't wait much longer so you'll have to do. don't worry all you'll need is my 'business card' it will lead you to some extra information on me and your soon to be current condition. oh and just one final detail" he said as he got close to one ear as my vision got darker and darker. "I'll be watching, HA HA HA HA HAAA~!"
I woke up covered in a thin layer of snow some of it covered in blood. I struggled to sit up because of how much my body ached. how I was alive I didn't know, not only had there been grime but it was freezing cold, but to be honest I was just glad to be alive. most of the bite marks from the bats had faded, all except the deeper ones. I twisted my neck to see if there were any bites on my back but that's when I felt it, a sharp pain in my neck. I pressed my hand to it, there were two red dots on my hand. I don't remember getting bit on the neck. wasn't much blood even though it was on my jugular. in fact, there should have been more blood, but that didn't matter all that was necessary was to get back to beacon. but then I remembered the old man and what he had said 'you'll have to do' what did he mean by that? I'll have to do for what? 'all you'll need is my 'business card' it will lead you to some extra information on me and your soon to current condition.' My current condition? information on him? business card?I patted myself down until I found the card he was talking, it was a white card with the words "All you need to know about Vampirism"...
It must have been the adrenaline that helped me run the 7 miles back to beacon. this couldn't be true, that old man was just crazy! vampires aren't real! but then why was I still running, did I really think this was a possibility? well, I guess it was because I'm not willing to take chances. I was now running through the halls of the academy. Wham!
"Oof." I heard a familiar voice exclaim. I helped Ruby as her silver eyes grew. "there you are, Wiess, we were beginning to worry" she said before giving me a tight hug. then she paused for a second "are you ok Weiss? your really cold"
That shocked me for a second. "Well you know I was just outside in the freezing cold." I laughed nervously.
"oh! I guess your right." she said "silly me." she laughed nervously. she looked down at the floor and started to fiddle with her feet. "Well, now that your back I was thinking we could maybe hang out or something? cause you know we haven't done anything together in a while," she said her voice drifting off.
Ruby was right, we hadn't done anything together in a while and while I wouldn't hate anything more than to brush Ruby off it was important that I get to the bottom of what was going on with me. "Ruby..." I started slowly. she looked up at me. " I know you really want to hang out I do too but, I'm in the middle of something really important" I put my hands on her shoulders. "maybe later but for now I need to go." I hugged her.
"Weiss," she said. "if you ever need help I'll be there for you."
"wouldn't have it any other way."
I made my way to the bathroom and made sure the door was locked. I looked in the mirror and to my surprise, I was a lot paler than I usually was. I help my hand to my face I just couldn't believe it .after a few seconds realization settled in I was cold, really cold, my skin wasn't much warmer than it was outside. I started to get scared that I really may be becoming a vampire. I checked my teeth, nothing odd there luckily. I needed more certainty, what that card said seemed like a book name maybe the library had it. rushing to the library I checked the library's online catalog for the book, thank god they had it. I rushed to the aisle then rushed to a table. the very first page was Vampirism symptoms the page read
the first rule of vampirism is you can have all of the symptoms but if you don't have the most important symptom of a bite on you neck none of the others matter you must have something else . so let's get on with it.
first symptom - the bite mark - the bite mark must be on the neck but could be anywhere on so. it would be two deep puncture marks no more than an inch and a half apart. this symptom is necessary to even consider Vampirism.
I touched my neck, I fit that one.
second symptom - cold blooded - vampires don't need to be warmed to live but their body temperature is ruled by the temperature of their surroundings.
My skin was still blistering cold but warming up slowly but, probably not above room temperature. I was starting to lose hope.
third symptom - pale skin -because the blood in your body had ben drunk you should be much paler.
I was starting to tremble.
fourth symptom - the absence of heart beat - since vampires are technically dead and since there is no blood to pump the heart should not be beating but in some cases, the heart is still beating but it never lasts.
I pressed my hand aginst my chest.
1 second... nothing, 2 seconds... nothing, 3 seconds... nothing, 4 seconds... nothing, 5 seconds... nothing, 6 seconds... nothing, 7 seconds... nothing, 8 seconds... nothing, 9 seconds... nothing, 10 seconds... nothing... I waited a whole minute... nothing.
my eyes started to tear up.
if you fit these symptoms the next thing you need to know is the transformation. right now you would technically be a fledgling this stage doesn't last long about 19 - 25 hours. after this time your soul will leave your body this is because vampires are undead creatures and because you are dead your soul leaves. this will take a couple hours during this time your mind will be entangled between thoughts of your soul and thoughts of your body as separate entities. I would suggest that before this stage you get away from any loved ones or people in general since you lose your soul you'll lose all emotion and emotional connections and just a general moral compass, while you will still have your memories you won't have an emotional connection to anyone you know and without a sense of right or wrong and abnormal abilities that doesn't usually go well.
That was it I had read enough. I didn't even check the book out I just walked out with I just didn't have the time. If what the book said was true then I had to leave now, in fact, I only had 2 hrs left. I ran to my dorm lucky it was empty, I grabbed a bag and packed some things and just as I was about to leave yang barged in.
"Hey, Weiss! what's with the bag?"
"Oh! um... it's nothing just going some were." I said nervously.
"where ya going?" she said.
"just to an umm... dust shipment that me father wants me to overlook ya know with the white fang and all... might be gone a while so..."
"Ok... Weiss." she said slowly "you get on then."
She was right I had to get going I only had an hour and thirty minutes left before the 19-hour mark. I made it to the edge of the woods and started on my way.
"hey Yang, have you seen Weiss?" I asked her.
"ya about thirty minutes ago." she said plainly. "she said she was going to a dust shipment, but I didn't believe her."
"What do you me-?" She cut me off.
"I mean I watched her go into the woods." she said in a serious tone.
"was she acting strange? and did she look like she was sick?" I asked with a worried voice.
"Yes, but I knew she wouldn't talk to me that's why I think you need to follow her."
"I got it." I quickly got to the edge of the woods and found her footprints and started to follow them.i just couldn't figure out what Weiss was trying to hide and why she would hide it from me of all people.
'Why should I run for the sake of others?' I need to keep going I need to get farther away! 'Is it really one me for whatever would happen to people if I stayed? it wasn't really my choice to become this way'. I could never forgive myself if I hurt anyone at Beacon especially my teammates. I may not have chosen this but it was my responsibility to deal with it. this had been going on for two hours I had hit the 19-hour mark 3 hours ago. it was just a continuous internal argument. I was almost 30-35 miles way from Beacon. it had started to heavily snow, it was almost a white out.
"Weiss-!"
I didn't quite hear it at first.
"WEISS!"
Now I heard it. I looked behind myself. I could just barely make out the red outline of Ruby.
'That dolt doesn't she realize that I'm trying to save her, it's almost like she wants to die.' No! Ruby, you shouldn't have come here!
"Weiss please stop!" she cried out to me.
I fell to my knees, I couldn't take the voices anymore it was driving me crazy.
Ruby ran up and kneeled down to talk to me. "Weiss! are you all right what's wrong!?" that's it I was being crazy all this vampire stuff was just in my head it had to be. "Come on Weiss I need you to talk to me!" thats it i wasn't losing my soul and my heart was beating fine! "Weiss I can't help you if you don't-"
"Ruby I need you to shut up! I need to think!"
'Hit her hard and make her' there is only one way to tell for sure. eyes-
"Weiss, please!" she pleaded.
"I SAID SHUT UP!" I grabbed her by the shoulders.
'You' Eyes 'Need to make' Are the mirrors 'Shut up for good' To the soul.
That'seyes are the mirror to the soul!
"Weiss." Ruby was crying now.
"Ruby I need you to look into my eyes and tell me what you see. ok?"
"Ok, Weiss," she said with teary eyes. she looked into my eyes for a second. then her pupils started to widen and drool ran from the corner of her mouth then she fell over.
'You can't just leave her here it will look suspicious.' i can't leave her here she'll freeze to death.
I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder. and headed off to a place that should be nearby, an old piece of schnee property.
