The next morning I awoke in a cold sweat. I shot up out of bed, surprised to have even that much strength. My dreams had been of nothing, and somehow that had tormented me all night. That darkness reminded me ofhim, and it frightened me for those few hours I slept.
Wiping the sweat off my face, I tried to stand. I had to grab hold of my bed to keep from falling; there was no power in me to walk. Slowly, I eased myself into a sitting position on the ground. I must have had a fever. Apparently, the exhaustion had not left me yet. Damn him, I thought, and tried to rise once again. With much difficulty, I succeeded.
About an hour after that strange occurrence, I was on my way to school. One of my friends stared at me as I struggled to keep awake on the half-full bus.
"You alright?" he asked from the seat beside me.
That snapped me out of my daze and I turned to him.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." The reply was weak; my voice stuttered slightly.
"You look awful. Why didn't you stay home today?"
"You know what they said at the beginning of the year," I reminded him of what the instructors had stated, "I'll fall behind if I miss too much class."
"Have you even missed any school so far?" my friend questioned matter-of-factly.
"Well, no, but…" My voice trailed off; I didn't want to answer anything at the moment. I laid my head on the backpack in my lap and tried to sleep.
Later that day, I was in foreign language. Never an expert, I knew I shouldn't have fallen asleep. I had already been struggling to keep up, since I knew nothing of Spanish whatsoever, and there were people who did. As long as I studied, I would be alright.
Well, I tried my best, but somewhere along the lines of reading the textbook I nodded off, and was only awakened by my teacher scolding me in that other language. Of course, I didn't know what she meant. My comprehension didn't seem to matter; the next moment a puzzled look came on her face.
"Do you need to go to the clinic?" she offered, finally in English.
Did I look that horrible? I thought to myself No, I told her, but I would like to go get a drink of water. Obviously worried about my condition, she let me.
I took a stop to the restroom to look in a mirror. Dear God! I almost exclaimed aloud. My complexion was deathly pale; I think it rivaled Lestat's. And my eyes, bloodshot and about to close even as I stood there. I looked down to my trembling fingers. Not good, I thought.
The bell rang. At least I could regain some energy by eating. I went quickly to my class to retrieve my belongings and walked to the cafeteria.
I fell asleep in lunch, too. The same friend from the bus shook me awake. Another, one girl from my class, was beside him.
"You seriously need to go home," he told me, "Look, you can't even keep your eyes open."
"Only one more class to go, and then we're done for the week. Isn't that enough?" I said to him sleepily.
Why wouldn't the weakness wear off? Lestat didn't say anything about this in any of his books! This feeling was horrible; what did he do?
"What happened? Did you not get enough sleep?" the girl asked.
"Vampires stalk me…" I replied quietly, drawing a groan from the first companion.
"Please stop with that. It's getting annoying." He half-pleaded, irritated at my "pointless" obsession.
"Vampires aren't real!" my other classmate exclaimed.
I shifted a little and lifted my head from the table. A sad smile covered my face.
"That's what they want you to think." I laughed. They looked at each other: one in exasperation, the other in worry. Seeing this, I added, while getting up from my seat, "I'll be fine."
Ironically, as I said this, I nearly toppled over. Horribly out of place, for I usually had perfect balance from my countless years of martial arts training. Damn Lestat, I cursed again, as I quickly caught myself. Just in time to look up to my friends' faces, lucky me. Without pause, I left their dialogue and traveled to my next class.
The sun was glaring hot at that time; I remember it well. White walls surrounded me, reflecting the rays toward me. Sweat. It was dripping from my face as I walked. People passed me: how fast was I going? I wondered, I'd better hurry. But I had to sit; I couldn't go on! The sun was shining, beating down on my hair. Almost to shade, just a few more steps…
Needless to say, I arrived there, and went through the class semi-normally. Surprisingly, I did not fall asleep, knowing I could on the bus ride home. And when the bell rang, I had no hesitation to get myself to my transportation. Not too long after, home was where I had dropped. Nothing was on my mind save sleeping, and recovering from that damned Lestat-born illness. Dropping my bag and books near my bedroom door, I collapsed upon my bed, not bothering to get under blankets or covers. All I wanted was that blissful sleep.
No dreams. I found that relaxing, for as of late I had only been dreaming of vampires. Those strange visions put into my mind by God knows who, that weren't horrible, simply perplexing. Not healthy for a being that was just assaulted by the creature, surely! With such a state of mind, I'm positive the images would have been terrifying.
Warmth. But how? I had slept without a covering, and I should have been freezing. However, I didn't feel such ice now.
"What?" My voice was low, "How did…?"
Immediately, my eyes went wide. It couldn't be!
I looked about the room. Nothing. Silence. Still, I felt on edge; he could be in here, waiting, watching my moves with curious and mischievous eyes.
I kicked the blanket off me and stood up. My mind quickly went to securing a weapon: my sword, my greatest defense, prized and powerful. As of late, I kept it beside me as I slept. If only it could have helped me the night previous! I pushed the anger from my mind and realized a horrible fact.
"No…" My eyes went wide. It was gone! How?
Relax, I told myself, I've just misplaced it.
What a wonderful lie. Where else could it be? Never did I lose such dangerous items carelessly. Checking obvious places, though, all I found were practice blades. My hardwood stand I kept for the sword was bare, a mere hunk of bark now that it had no purpose.
In frustration and silent fear, I sat down on my bed. Cursing to myself as I completed the action, my nervous eye glanced to the side of the bed. What I saw there shocked my profoundly.
The little gray blanket was folded up and neatly placed on the edge of the bed.
In deafening terror, I tried to flee the room. What was I thinking, coming back here? I ran to the door, nearly clawing from the knob, but halted. There was a tick attached to my neck.
Around my shoulders did he have his hands, the touch making me cringe. Wide-eyed, I shifted my eyes downward, not daring to move my head in fear of his bite. His teeth grazed my skin; his lips were on the tender flesh. A chill ran through me. He wrapped his arm around me, so that his wrist was under my chin and his fingers could caress my cheek. The other arm found a home around my waist. I could not dare to fight back, for he could drain my life and leave me for dead. Perhaps even worse, he could postpone a peaceful death with more hellish visitations.
Upon hearing such thoughts, he smirked against my skin. Just as the night before, it caused only shivers down my spine. Sweat was forming in thin beads upon my forehead.
Lestat stepped back, and I had no choice but to match the stride, lest I risk falling or his teeth breaking my skin. Another step, and then another followed until he sat on the covers, bringing me with him without my consent.
I could have screamed at that moment! To be so close to that man, that vampire, was utterly horrifying. I was on his damn lap! I think I could have prayed at that moment, as if to ask some unknown power to relinquish me from his eager hands, to release me of his lustful touch.
He laughed outright at such a notion.
His movement let go of my neck in the process, and as any sane person would do, I struggled to free myself. The hand on my cheek, however, snapped upon my jawbone, stilling me quickly. A touch that made my form lurch, mind you. He turned my head to the side, as to let me view him with less difficulty. Arrogant monster. Another smirk was on his face as he viewed me.
"Do you fear me, ma chère?" Were his chilling words. I was trembling, then.
I wanted so desperately for him to let go, to stop contact with me. Each gentle touch, each malicious caress was taunting, torturing me. He knew this. That is why he did it. The fear was wonderful for him to feel; I have no doubt.
Weakness and fright was all that I was entitled. The blood I had lost had most assuredly returned, but why did I still feel fatigue? Why! It was keeping me from fighting; keeping me from showing any strength at all!
"Why are you so tired?" he echoed, hearing my thoughts still, "Hmm. You should be fine, and yet you are not."
He released my chin and ran that hand down my throat. His fingers grazed the flesh, again upon the quivering flesh. I was so afraid!
"Is it your worry that keeps you from healing?" he asked malevolently, already knowing the answer, "Your anxiety of my inevitable return?
"Yes, that's it." Lestat continued, "Already, though? One day, and you're paralyzed with fear? Surely, you can do better; that is what makes your blood so delicious! It's that will."
Will. The word woke me out of that dream-like state. Yes, I remembered that spirit! Nothing kept me bound to him now, save for his intangible words and threats. I elbowed him in the face with all the power I had.
Not a whisper of agony. No matter, I stepped from his lap, happy to be free from him. In turning, I saw him sitting there, with the same smile as before.
Helet me do that! He let me be freed, to give me a chance to fight back! It was all a game!
An amazing feeling of insignificance washed over me at that moment; the color must have drained from my face. There was no way out! I could almost weep.
He laughed. He stood up.
"Don't be upset, ma chère." he coaxed, walking slowly towards me.
I looked for a way out, for a path of escape, but I was trapped between him and a wall. Running to the side, I was met with a blocking arm that prevented my fleeing. In that attempt, I struck his forearm with my body. It locked onto me immediately, his hand going on my shoulder, keeping me from struggling. One movement sent my back crashing against his chest. I could feel the cold skin through his shirt.
We were too close; I almost screamed again, but something smothered the yearning. Was it fear once again? It wasn't for me, but for my family. They were still here. If the sounds of our struggle reached them, they would no doubt come to question the noise. Then Lestat would—
"I would kill them," he finished for me, confirming my greatest nightmare, "All of them, quickly, and quietly. Maybe I should," He stopped, bringing his face near my exposed ear and whispering into it, "It would leave us alone, wouldn't it? You could scream all you wish."
Had he not been holding me up, I most assuredly would have fallen. He was too close! Never could I stand being in close quarters with any soul, but now-! Now a vampire had me, and he would never let go.
Lestat chuckled in my ear. Such a great amount of fear had me; the struggle was renewed. I elbowed him in the stomach and kicked him in the shins as best I could. Anything to get him off of me. It didn't work, of course. He was an unmovable pillar of strength, not at all willing to yield. I could have almost cried out in frustration. I gritted my teeth.
He pushed my head down and moved the hair away from the back of my neck. Only shivers could come from me in this gentle process.
Please don't, please don't! I thought frantically, it hurt so badly.
His grip tightened around my waist.
"Now, we both know that it is not painful. Don't lie to yourself." His voice was waft. It frightened me more.
The greater I struggled, the more he held fast, waiting patiently for me to give up. I could not: I told myself to lift my head, snatch any sort of weapon, and to fight. His hand was on the back of my head. He kept me from doing even the first of my actions. Nowhere was my sword to be found. The words, "no escape," ran through my head again, but I swiftly shoved them from my mind.
He tired of my resistance, as great as his amusement from it. The hand on my head, in turn, caught me in a crushing embrace. Not a loving one, however. Though I'm sure, in his twisted mind, it could be considered as such. The air was leaving my lungs. Surely he knew of his own strength; he was doing this on purpose! I could not know at the time, for all I thought of was getting away.
By then, I realized my head was down, and yet free from his hold. Thinking swiftly, I pulled my neck up and slammed Lestat's with my skull. He grunted and released me.
Whether out of shock or genuine pain, the attack gave me enough time to lunge toward my weapon rack and seize the first object I could. A dull sai was my unfortunate defense, for that was all I had for the fight for my blood. Still, I was determined to battle.
Now true shock ran through me as I whipped around to find not a soul. I struggled to push it back, to find courage. There was nothing but darkness. The grip upon my sai tightened as I glanced about to see the inky blackness the night had created for my battling grounds. The moon was too small tonight to fill my room with sufficient light. Mere silhouettes composed the quarters. I would never know where he was.
He's in here, he's in here! echoed through my mind. I didn't move; I stayed wary. My heart pounded against my breast, my hands showed sweat as the death-grip of my weapon continued. The anxiety was tormenting me in the stillness, the promise of danger to come.
Lestat was there. He was not, and then he was in the next second. I could never know how fast he came at me, but my next conscious movement was up against another wall, a blade to my throat. Something stopped the edge, though. It seems my unconscious mind had moved my sai upward enough to protect me, even though I myself could never move quick enough to do so. The sword had been halted.
I paused. A sword…
I shifted my gaze down to see my own blade threatening to tear my throat out. Even in this dire situation, anger filled me. He dared to use my weapon?! Surely, he heard this, for he smirked. I attempted to push the weapon away from me, but it was a test of strength in which Lestat had me sorely outmatched. Though I tried for many, many moments to prevail despite my better sense, there was no victory to be had.
Lestat grew tired of it, I suppose, for he used just a bit more of his power to break my feeble efforts to escape by pushing the sword all the way against me. Still, the sai I held kept the blade back, but the sai was to me so tightly I could scarcely breathe.
His fingers enclosed my own; the hand holding my weapon was trapped by his free hand. He pulled the sword away, having no further need of it to keep me pinned. The might he possessed dwarfed mine; it was like trying to move marble! Now I believe Lestat himself has used such a description before.
The vampire's sword arm inched closer to the wrist holding the sai in place. My eyes widened greatly as I realized this, but could struggle no more to free myself from the inevitable cut. Terror overcame me; I started to shake violently once more.
This could never have stopped him. He drank up the fear; perhaps, it was as good as the blood he needed.
With a motion I could never hope to see, the sword slit through the skin. Dropping the hunk of metal to the ground, he could not hold back for but a second more. Lestat let go of me only to leap at the open wound, smothering my smaller form with his body. The sensation of his drink came at me again.
My sai dropped, the weapon that had held my only salvation dropped, involuntarily. It fell to the carpet below, strangely, without a sound. I would have followed from sheer weakness of the draining of blood, but Lestat's hands held me aloft expertly.
A strange mix of pain and pleasure filled me; it was unlike any human sensation. Just as the night previous, he drank all too slowly, enjoying every draught of savory blood that flowed through his lips. We were connected through the heartbeat, connected through our very being. To describe it is insurmountable.
After seconds or minutes, never could I know, he released me. My legs crumpled and I fell forward to his waiting arms. They were warm.Thief! Unfortunately, even as I was held there, I shivered. I could not even lift my head to gaze at him, nor did I wish to see that taunting smile on his face. He kept me there for many moments, as if in a daze of ecstasy. Or, he stood reading my emotions, lamenting our separation. Human emotions. I'm sure he missed those.
Oh, so gracefully, he picked me up, my weight nothing in his arms. With my dwindling strength, I turned my head away from him in sheer defeat. I could not bare to look upon him; it was far too much. In response, he leaned his face closer. His words left me shaken.
"Your blood is intoxicating; I could almost not pull back. Wouldn't that be horrible?" His breath was warm on my ear.
He ever so gently laid me back down on the bed. I couldn't move; I couldn't speak. You will never understand the fear I felt, the helplessness. I could cry. But, I wouldn't let myself, for it would give him too much satisfaction. Although, at that point, I'm sure he had his fill of me already.
I curled into a half-formed ball and edged away from him as best I could in my weakened state. My arms covered my head and face in a sorry defense that would do nothing against him. It was all I could muster.
Lestat sat on the side of the bed opposite of the night before. I could hear his movement, but did not hold enough courage to look up from my protective position and gaze at his face. It would have not helped, though, for even as I still felt his presence on my left did he appear on my right, grasping my hands, pulling them away from my face, and destroying my guard. In the next moment, he held my face with his gentle touch, all but forcing me to view him in his triumphant splendor. The vampire's other hand pulled my shoulder up to him, pushing me into an embrace that I neither desired nor enjoyed. His face was in the hair he so loved, and his grip was enough for me to feel his newly acquired warmth. He spoke again.
"Oh, how I wish I could stay with you tonight, but I cannot. Do not despair, chérie, for I will return tomorrow as soon as the sun sets. Perhaps I will stay with you all night." After he pulled back, he pushed my face up to look at him. We were close enough to kiss. Imagine what that would have done to me at that moment! Lestat smiled; he knew exactly what it would do. Though he made no move for that action, what he said next sealed my fate, "Maybe I should stay tonight, instead?"
My eyes widened so far, they seemed they would roll from my head.
"Ah, so it is decided," he said, then, as if speaking to himself aloud, asked, "Why do I need to leave?" Lestat came forward, falling upon me, and I flinched to repress a yell. Before I realized it, the vampire had made me lean against him, my face pressed against his chest as he wrapped his arms snuggly around me. He cooed softly to me, "Will you slumber in my arms, like a lover?"
His hand was holding my side, while the other held my head to him in perfect control. Only a slight movement was needed to make my stomach lurch. If any strength were left within me, I would have fought him, would have struggled to get away. My energy was gone, however, and I could but tremble in his loving arms.
I knew I was quivering. My fists were tight; my knuckles were going white from the lack of blood. Lestat took this hand and held it, as if keeping the anger from being released with his own power.
"Bastard-!" I cursed nearly inaudibly.
"What was that, ma chère?" Of course he could hear me; his senses were far greater than any mortal's, "Say it louder; maybe God will hear you!"
A chill went down my spine. What a powerful statement it was.
He released the hand and let it fall limply to the covers. His other hand moved up my back, causing more than slight discomfort for me, and felt my rapid heartbeat. It enraged me to feel him touch me so tenderly.
"Kill me." I hissed darkly, "End it!"
"No, no, love." he protested; he breathed into my ear, "Never."
The vampire lifted me up ever so slightly, just enough to bite into my earlobe. He sucked at it, though there was no blood to be found there. What a darkly sensational feeling! It made my body spasm. There must have been blood within my hand from my nails cutting into my palm so deeply. Traces of angry tears were in my eyes as I struggled to be released. The tears wouldn't come out, of course, but they were there. My fight was lost at the beginning, you know by now, and he loved it. From start to finish, every moment he drank up like the blood he so craved. Damn him.
He placed his hand upon my head and I struggled to move and fight. My face was pushed down to his chest again.
"Shh, calm yourself, ma chère." he cooed, "It will be a verylong night if you do not."
"Release me." My words were through clenched teeth.
Lestat laughed; such a horrible chuckle! It sent a shiver of fear through me. He knew it.
"Rest. Please." He asked of me, touching the side of my face with his free hand, then snatched it, held it tight, "Or do I need another drink to calm you down."
His words were almost as dark as mine had been, and a new wave of terror flew over me. He had never spoke to me in such a tone. Was this the temper he had spoken of in his books?
However, that tension was blown away by another one of his laughs. It didn't make me feel any more comfortable, of course. Even so, his words stayed with me: would he really dare another attack?
"Why can't I?" Hearing my thoughts, he responded, "Are you going to stop me?"
My hands turned to fists again. Ever vigilant, he saw, and smirked.
A long night it would be, indeed.
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