CH.3: Cornerstone of trouble
Lucas had undergone intense vampiric treatment of sorts to keep his craving in check and his flight risk highly monitored. Cory, Topanga, Riley, Jackson, even Maya hung around making sure he did not go anywhere but the compound. He had attempted to flee but Jackson had put him in his place and he made sure he stayed put by how close the stake felt against his chest. When he was human he never had much fear of a stake…but now the wood actually burned and feeling the tip pressing in on his heart…his dead heart it made him cringe.
Maya and he hadn't really spoken since his treatment began, partly because he still blamed her for what he had become. 9th grade had begun and while they had the same teacher, Mr. Matthews of course, he focused primarily on his studies. True Maya did what she thought was best but clearly she had forgot to ask one person in particular…himself. Maya saw his cold shoulder but that didn't stop her from talking to Riley while in close vicinity to him.
Lucas did his best not to eavesdrop, kind of difficult now with his hearing improvement. They mostly gossiped and talked about boy problems or how this year would be different than last. If he had answered he would have said something along the lines of, well, for starter he drank blood now compared to when he was in 8th grade and did not. There was also the fact he had to be taken to a hospital if he broke an arm but now it could be mended in a brace without needing an x-ray. He could hang out at the beach…without having to worry about burning…but now he'd have to go only during night. Lucas found it was the little things he missed most about being a human…oh and food…he could go for a hamburger about now but his stomach did not growl.
School was just ending for the day and Lucas was heading out the door with Maya close on his heels. "You can try and ignore me…but I'm not going anywhere-."
"Maya I just need some time to adjust alright…augh…I gotta run literally." Lucas could feel the sun bearing down on him and as he ran he tried to keep himself from turning into a pile of dust.
"I will see you later Riley," Maya says to Riley before taking off after him. He knew she would race after him and no matter the amount of speed he put into his dash she was right alongside him.
"Maya this is ridiculous…why won't you leave me alone?" Lucas did not want to hurt Maya, but, she was making it hard on him as she did that thing she did…likely a trait she picked up from Riley.
"I am being ridiculous…how is being there for you ridiculous?" Maya sped ahead of him and as they neared his house she dragged him into the backyard and pinned him up against the giant tree in the back.
"I am a vampire…I have no soul and everything I cherished about being a human I can't do anymore. How do you expect me to trust you…to thank you when I've been force fed blood, human blood at that? I had dreams…I had ambitions I wanted to fulfill and at the best of my capability now those might as well be in my sleeping hour…oh wait…I can't sleep anymore now!" Lucas glared at her and as he pushed her back he was shoved back harder.
"Is this what you really want to do…fight your girlfriend? If you want to fight me go ahead…but don't hold back because you love me or anything." Maya's voice was hurt and Lucas thought over what he was doing…but his new body seemed to thrive on the fight, the adrenaline feeding his body.
"I'm sorry Maya…but if this is the only way for me to get you to pull back…I'll do so without any regret." Lucas felt his facial features change and his teeth became jutted with sharpness. His senses were sharper and as he raced at Maya he was immediately throw into the sun by her and he screamed in pain.
"How is that holding up for you…cause right now you are screaming like a little girl. Come on Lucas…you want to end this relationship you will have to be more convincing than that." Maya beckoned at him and as he rose up ignoring the burning sensation threatening to swallow him whole he raced at her again. Maya blocked his attacks and his fury was burning him whole. He was becoming frustrated that even with this change he could not land an attack on her.
"Maya why are you doing this…you created me…why let me suffer?" Lucas did not want to live life as a vampire…in all honesty he'd rather be dead then have to endure anymore drinking of human blood…questioning whose blood it was he drank. Aside from his wild Texas attributes and behavior he kept on lockdown he wasn't much of a fighter or person who would harm a living soul. The whole hunting thing…it was a family line of business that he thought he would do because it was a family thing…but as it was shown with Maya when the two met…his thinking began to change.
"This is a process Lucas…do you honestly think you are the only one who has had these thoughts? When Riley bit me and changed me I realized all the things I would never be able to do…to this day I still think of the things taken from me. One night it had gotten so bad I thought of suicide…I couldn't do it. I asked Riley why she had done what she did and she told me it was an accident and an accident it was…but it never fit the reason, the brain's way of processing what is right and wrong. It turns out Riley did not want to live life knowing she may slip up one day and kill me…I mean dead as night, so she thought by making me a vampire it would stop her from slipping down that dark road."
Lucas listened to her and realized while that was helpful some it still didn't help him from this haunted life of his, this shell of a body he resided in where any trace of his humanity was long gone, vacated soon as he was dead. Racing at her the two began to fight, really fight…each of them trying to land a blow on the other. Lucas finally managed to get close to her after getting his chest scratched, his shoulder scratched, and his stomach kneed. Slicing at her face he stops seeing the blood and as her face winces he looks down at the hand with the long nails.
"Oh no…no no…what have I done?" Lucas was aghast at his actions and looked over at Maya who appeared to be smiling sadly at him.
"You did what you wanted Lucas…you hurt the person who hurt you. I hope it was worth it." Maya slowly began to move away but Lucas was quick to grab her wrist.
"Maya…please don't go…I know I said I needed time but I was being selfish. I see now that you were only trying to help me…to stand by my side and see that I didn't self-destruct on anyone…including those I love. It is just…"
"Lucas…I-." Maya never finished as Lucas felt his shoulder explode in pain and as he fell to his knees he looked over and saw a red head holding a gun.
"That was the first time I've fired a gun…if you continue to attack that girl I will be forced to kill you." The girl was quite serious and Lucas held his shoulder as he rose to his feet and gave her a look but Maya held him back.
"Uh thanks for the saving…but do you care explaining why you shot and who you are?" Maya looked over at the girl and Lucas could sense she was human by how fast her heart was going.
"The name is Juliet Daniel and I've come here in search of a Lucas Friar…and I shot because well…he was going to bite you. I was told Lucas lives here…so…I waited."
Lucas wore a grieved look as he kept pressure on his shoulder, albeit it would heal…but as it was with Maya…it would hurt quite a bit. "Well…you just shot him."
They sat in his bedroom and Lucas noted the confusion on Juliet's face. "So you are telling me the hunter Lucas Friar…is actually a vampire?"
"Yeah…sorry to have you come all this way and find out the hard way. Believe me it was not my choice…but…I sort of lost the taste for hunting after I fell in love…with Maya over there." Lucas gestured at Maya who didn't sit near him, he didn't blame her after having fought for him only for him to cut her.
"Oh so you weren't trying to bite her…but…if you love her what is with the mark on her cheek?' Juliet was not one for pulling punches, he figured, good for her.
"My girlfriend turned me into a vampire…I blamed her for it…have been struggling to keep things together ever since. All Maya did since turning me was try and keep me on the straight and narrow…and I've fought to push her away, and now I might have gone a bit too far." Lucas was weighed down by grief more than the feelings of resentment he had shouldered for a bit.
"I'm sure you two will get through this…and maybe helping me may mend that. I know you aren't a hunter anymore…but…something has happened to my father and he told me to give this to someone in your family." Juliet reached into her bag and as she pulled out a journal Lucas suddenly recalled something.
"The Daniel Journal, huh, I remember seeing it once a long time ago back in Texas. I didn't do too much hunting there, mainly training but my father had invited a man called Mark over to dinner and he had a cheerful girl with him, I remember playing with her-."
"Lucas…wow…I almost forgot about that. You've grown up quite a lot since the last time we saw each other. My father had some business in Texas and at the time I was unaware of his hunting career so I was sent to play with you. So…I know you aren't a hunter anymore but maybe you can help me train to be one…learn from you and take on the family business. My father did not wish for me to go down this path but…perhaps this will help me get out of this rut I've been living a life…per say."
Lucas wasn't exactly certain he wanted to teacher her in the way of hunting…it was a dangerous field and whatever happened to her father happened because of the lifestyle he chose. "Juliet…while I admire your tenacity to take on the unknown…I can't be behind what your father wanted you to have no part of-."
Juliet said nothing at first and Lucas felt rather bad putting her down…and then she said something that changed his mind. "What if I were to tell you there is a way for vampires to walk in the sunlight without being burned…would that be of interest to you?"
Lucas and Maya exchanged looks, the first looks since their exchange proved painful. To be able to walk out in the sunlight…to immerse themselves in a part of their life taken from them…maybe this was worth traveling to the unknown. Maybe there was hope for him and Maya away from all this…cause right now he didn't know if they could survive the way they were now.
Authors note: Sorry for the wait, kind of got stuck but here it is…next chapter up and ready to be read. A bit of a struggle with Lucaya but again aiming to contain the amount of characters from last time. At best far as canon characters go Lucas and Maya will be the featured players in this story. Next chapter time to hit the high seas.
