The moment the tendrils of unconsciousness that ensnared her mind began to retreat, Dina knew things weren't as they should be. She was hearing too much, yet nothing at all; birds whistling in the trees, leaves rustling in the light breeze, a herd of deer grazing in a field some distance away, the rustling of fabric, a car cruising along the rain slick asphalt. She heard everything, yet she shouldn't have been able to.
Her throat was uncomfortably scratchy, a burn lighting up the flesh of her oesophagus. She swallowed to soothe it, but there was no saliva in her mouth.
Her eyes opened next, blinking at the soft, golden glow of the light on the ceiling. Speaks of dust and colour floated in her vision and she could have sworn she was seeing colours she'd never seen before. Everything was much more vibrant, like she'd been looking through frosted glass and it had now cleared. The true tones shining through. A gentle clearing of a throat caught her attention. She sat up slowly, or she intended it to be slow, but she was upright faster than she could comprehend.
A woman, perhaps the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, stood in the doorway with her arms hanging limply by her side. Her face was light and friendly, yet there was caution in her vibrant yellow eyes. She began to speak, voice soft like a whisper, and musical in quality.
"Hello, I'm Tanya. You're at my family's home in Denali, Alaska. Can you tell me your name?" She has taken a few steps closer to Dina as she spoke, slow enough for Dina to not have noticed. A growl rumbled in Dina's chest. It cut off abruptly when she realised the sound was coming from her. "I apologise, it's been a long time since I've been around a newborn. It seems I've forgotten my manners."
Dina's confusion began to grow steadily. Who was this woman? Why were her eyes gold? What did she mean by newborn? And why couldn't she remember a damn thing?
Tanya, noticing her growing distress, was quick to soothe. "May I sit?" She gestured to the bottom of the bed where Dina was sitting on. When Dina nodded slowly, she sat, carefully keeping her distance. "I suppose I should explain. My sisters and I found you in the woods. It had looked like you'd taken a nasty tumble and had some pretty severe injuries, do you recall?"
Dina thought hard until a fuzzy image came forth in her mind. She'd been hiking one of her usual trails but with the recent layer of snow it had become treacherous. She had tried to be careful but it was slippery and her feet went out from under her. She couldn't stop herself from falling down the steep, rocky incline. Pain. Her head throbbed and her vision blurred, darkness creeping in. A face, beautiful and concerned. Bright golden eyes. Voices, soft and bickering. A sharp sting in her neck and wrists. The fire, burning hot and raging.
"I should be dead." Her voice, so familiar yet different at the same time. It was richer, smooth and lilting.
"Yes, you should be." Tanya smiled and it softened her feline features. "But letting you die didn't sit right with my sisters and I. We turned you."
"Turned me? Into what?"
"A Vampire."