Chapter Four: Awakening
"Alright, let's do this!" Ethan said as he looked at the unconscious vampires all lying in the library. Most of them were even sicklier looking. Green colored their skin and they all seemed too thin.
Ethan walked up to Sarah who was laying on top of a table, her limbs positioned so it looked as if she were sleeping. Ethan touched her hand, trying to enter her mind. But nothing happened. It was as Sarah's mind was frozen, not moving, sleeping. Ethan sighed and uncorked a vial. "I hope this works," he murmured to himself. Benny watched from a safe distance.
"Stop!" a voice suddenly yelled. Anastasia came storming through the door, followed closely by Erica and Rory. Ethan jumped and Benny froze, terrified. They thought that the Vampire Council had fled, never to be heard from again. "What are you doing?"
"What happened to Sarah?" Erica demanded, taking her best friend's laying on a table, looking as if she was about to die. Erica's fangs descended in anger.
"Hey, did you guys see the explosion?" Rory asked, jumping on the balls of his feet, silently thanking the vampire gods that his two best friends were alive.
"What happened?" Anastasia demanded, her fangs flashing in the fading sun shining in through the windows. Ethan swallowed and stood up a little straighter.
"Stern was disintegrated because he tried to absorb the Lucifractor's power. The Lucifractor broke and released a burst of energy that rendered all the vampires in this state," Ethan explained, his voice cracking slightly out of fear.
"What is in that vile?" Anastasia asked, gesturing to the uncorked one in Ethan's hand.
"Blood," Benny said, feeling as though he needed to contribute. "My blood. The magic in my blood should jumpstart the vampire healing process."
"Well," Anastasia sighed as she took all the information in. "The mansion is safe?" Ethan nodded. "Good. The Council can return. I will go use the Collar to contact them." She turned to leave.
"What about the other vampires," Benny asked. Anastasia turned back around, frustrated.
"You can take that one," she sneered, pointing at Jesse, "away from here. He is banished. Heal the others then leave. When they wake up they will most likely be hungry. I'd hate to see you die after going to all this trouble to save them." Then she left.
"Alright, let's get going!" Benny cried and began to pull out vials from his bag.
"Hey, where were you guys?" Ethan asked Erica and Rory. They both flushed.
"Anastasia put us in a trance and made us leave," Rory explained.
"Why?" Benny wondered. "It's not like she likes you or anything."
"She's our great-aunt!" Rory exclaimed. Erica punched him. "Ow!"
"What? Your great-aunt is Anastasia?" Benny laughed.
"Our great-aunt. Me and Erica are siblings," Rory said. Erica punched him again. "Ow! Stop that!"
"Siblings?" Ethan gaped, mouth hanging open. Benny just stared for a moment.
"We'll explain later. We have to go before the Vampire Council gets here," Erica insisted and picked up Sarah. "Come on!"
Benny looked at Ethan and Ethan looked at Benny. Then they emptied a vial into each of the vampires' mouths. As soon as the blood hit their tongue they instantly began to look better. Ethan smiled to himself, then he and Benny hoisted up Jesse and went to their car. On the way down, they passed Anastasia.
"Ethan. Benny," she called after them. They turned, fearing for their blood. "Thank you." Then she turned and ran back to the Vampire Council's meeting room. The boys stood there for a moment before they continued down stairs, to their car and to Ethan's house so they could finally save Sarah.
"And mom and dad won't hear about this?" Ethan asked his little sister as he handed her twenty bucks while Benny, Erica, and Rory brought in Jesse and Sarah.
"Not from me," Jane assured her brother and smirked. Ethan shook his head as she retreated to her room to play Dance, Dance Revolution. He then turned to the living room.
Sarah was lying on his couch while Erica stood over her, worry evident on her face. Jesse was lying on the floor while Benny gave him a solid kick in the shin. Ethan rolled his eyes and pulled out the last two vials. Then he walked over to Sarah.
With the steadiness to of a surgeon, he opened her mouth slightly and poured in the crimson liquid. As soon as it touched her tongue, her skin began to gain color and her body relaxed. Ethan sighed in relief. She'd be all right. He was sure of it.
"Do we really have to help him?" Benny wondered as he looked down at Jesse's limp body. A number of fresh bruises littered his limbs and Benny was massaging a sore toe. Ethan shook his head at his friend's antics.
"Yes. He helped us so we have to help him," Ethan said and poured Benny's blood into Jesse's mouth.
"I'm just saying, he wanted to take me out," Benny complained and went to make himself a sandwich.
"I wouldn't mind if he had," Erica sighed and flipped her hair. "Do you guys have anything to eat?"
"Ooh, like a puppy?" Rory asked, excitedly.
"No!" Ethan cried, disgusted. "Ew, that's sick and wrong! Do you guys actually do that?"
"No," Rory laughed. "Got ya!" Erica rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Well I'm starving. I'm going to grab a bite," she declared and left the house. Benny reentered the living room with his ham and pickle sandwich.
"So," he said to Rory as he sat down on one of Ethan's chairs. "You and Erica?"
"Yeah, it's really weird. But we forced Anastasia to tell us the truth and boy did we get it!" Rory laughed as he sat on the coffee table.
"That must be weird," Benny said. Rory nodded.
"I think Erica's taking it worse though. Me, I always knew there was something stopping us from being together. I mean, I liked her, but it was never serious. I think it was just physical attraction and the challenge of winning her over," Rory explained.
"Wow," Ethan sighed. Rory nodded. Benny licked the pickle juice off his fingers and leaned forward.
"So, what do you guys want to do until the vamps wake up?" he asked his friends. They all grinned. When Erica returned from her snack she found them all playing video games in Ethan's room while eating marshmallows and Cheetos.
Ethan didn't get it. Jesse had woken up thirty minutes after they had given him the blood. Benny was now trying to explain to him that he had to leave Whitechapel, upstairs in Ethan's room. But Ethan was in the living room. Watching Sarah. He didn't get it. It had been two hours since he gave her Benny's blood. She looked fine, great in fact, like she was sleeping. But she hadn't moved and Ethan didn't know why. He kept trying to get a vision by touching her but nothing happened, so he just ended up stroking her hair, waiting for something, anything. But nothing ever happened.
Sarah moaned and turned to her left. Then she fell off the couch and hit a hard wood floor. She heard someone mumble, "Oh shoot," before she was lifted back onto the couch. Someone was holding her hand, stroking her hair. It was nice. To just lay here in a fog and not worry about anything. Not about Jesse, or Benny, or Stern, or the Lucifractor, or Ethan…
Ethan! Her eyelids flung open and met his eyes. Ethan was kneeling on the ground, holding her hand, stroking her hair. As soon as he saw she was awake, though, he stopped. He pulled away.
"Sorry Sarah, I was just, um, uh," he stuttered and ran his hand through his hair. Sarah smiled. He was safe. They were safe. She reached out and grabbed his hand. Ethan fell silent, looking at their joined hands in amazement.
"I had fun on our second date. It was much more our speed," she croaked out and smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me too," Ethan gasped in relief. "Uh, I meant that I'm glad that you're okay. Not that I'm not glad that I'm okay, it's just that, well, um."
"Ethan," Sarah laughed as she interrupted him. He shut up and hesitantly looked at her.
"Yeah?" he whispered, as though afraid of ruining the moment, if this was a moment. He feared he kept ruining it, kept saying the wrong thing.
Sarah smiled and leaned forward. She pressed her lips against his cheek and Ethan froze. "Shut up."
"Uh," Ethan said dumbly, his skin the color of a tomato. She laughed and stood up.
"What happened?" Sarah asked
"Long story," Ethan sighed and stood as well. Benny came downstairs and looked at Ethan.
"Jesse wants to talk to you," he told him. Ethan nodded and looked at Sarah.
"You can tell me later," she said. "I think I need something to eat."
"Okay. I'll see you later?" Ethan asked, hoping.
"Yeah. Maybe we can go out for dinner. I like barbecue," Sarah told him and flew out the door. Benny raised his eyebrows at his best friend.
"Dude, what was that about?" Benny asked.
"I think me and Sarah are going on a date tonight," Ethan admitted.
"Dude!" Benny cried and high fived him. Ethan gave a small smile then went upstairs to talk to Jesse.