Chapter 7
Ouch...a dull pain was travelling up my spine. Blearily I blinked; my vision unfocused and cloudy. I was hit with a distinct sensation of vertigo, as I attempted to raise my head.
"You, get up." A sharp, cool, oddly familiar voice spoke from above me.
I twisted over on my back, stiff from sleeping rough. I made out a flash of blonde atop black.
Without waiting for a response, he reached for my hand. I would have flinched, if my reactions were up to their usual standard. His hand made contact with the material of my glove, and instantly I knew what was going to happen.
He yanked my hand, and, as I was weak, my hand hung limply, however the glove proceeded to slip off.
His eyes traced the design which had lain underneath the fabric.
David paused, before allowing the glove to fall from his grip.
I knew exactly what he was thinking.
Vampire hunter.
Maybe if I'd been thinking straight, it would have occurred to me that it was rather strange for him to have not killed me immediately, especially after seeing the mark.
However, I was totally out of it, and therefore I didn't question his abnormal reaction.
His voice, still unimpressed, repeated his earlier demand, "get up."
I sat up slowly, confused by the darkness of the sky. Had I only slept a few hours? The stiffness of my back said otherwise.
"It's ten pm." David answered my unspoken question.
This didn't clear up my confusion; it had been around ten when he'd...I cringed to think about it.
Then I understood, "I slept a whole day!" My voice was unnaturally high, and it pierced the soft contrast of the beach setting.
Nodding, David surveyed my appearance, his expression somewhat curious.
Self-conscious, I brushed at the dirt on my jeans, and ran a hand through my hair.
And then it finally sunk in.
I was standing here, chatting to a vampire, like it was the most natural thing in the world!
"I bit you." He stated, staring at my throat. The appeal of my blood seemed to no longer exist for him.
My worst fears had been realised.
I tried to laugh, "hmm, really? I never noticed." Dropping all pretence of normality I clung to the hope that I may still have a chance, "but that doesn't mean anything! Right?"
David shook his head, "why do you think you're still alive? Because I like you?" His voice was full of scorn and contempt, without waiting a beat, he carried on, "no, no. You're one of us now, like it or not."
I was a vampire. I was a disgusting, bloodsucking, death-defying vampire. Oh god...I'd become one of the undead, something I'd spent my life attempting to eradicate. I'd only been indulging myself earlier, trying to lull myself into a false sense of security.
I clutched at straws, "but wait! Don't I have any options?"
He smiled without humour, "not any that I am willing to discuss. You are going to kill someone, and you're going to be a full vampire. You're too dangerous to allow to walk free, which I might have otherwise permitted. Your past vocation prevents this however."
That damn tattoo. Damn it. All it had ever brought me was trouble.
His words replayed in my mind, I would not, without a shadow of a doubt, be killing someone. I'd kill myself sooner than I would kill another.
So, I'd been right, death was all that was left for me.
"And what if I don't?" My voice cracked on the "don't."
"You'll die," he responded, "and the pain will be unimaginable, the thirst unbearable. Believe me, as much as you think you can resist now, you can't and you won't."
He seemed certain, but he didn't know me.
"You know," he continued, "I didn't catch your name."
My eyes flickered over the ground, "that may have been because you planned on having me for dinner."
He brushed it off, "all in the past. Doesn't curiosity get the better of everyone?"
I'd never conversed so much with a vampire...he seemed so alive and human.
"Perhaps." I didn't want to tell him my name, it would make this all seem too real.
"I tried to be civil, Sasha. You brought this on yourself."
That...that...he already knew my name! How- my thoughts broke off, as I felt his influence invade the privacy of my mind. He reached into the upmost corner of everything I'd ever seen or experienced.
He spoke quietly, caressingly, "now I know everything there is to know, concerning you. I warned you that my methods would be far more unpleasant. Perhaps, in future, you ought to just comply."
I glowered at him, "you don't know anything."
"Sure I do. I know your brother was killed by my, should I say our, kind. I know you are...were, in love with a man named Pyro. I know your favourite colour is red, ironic isn't it? Considering the circumstances."
I continued to glare, "seeing my memories doesn't mean you know me."
His smile never faltered, "I think it does."
I didn't respond. I was so perplexed, my conflicting emotions were making my head hurt.
I could feel the dry, aching thirst at the back of my throat. And I watched, as David's smirk grew wider, as I finally comprehended the immensity of this insatiable craving.
My longing must have shown on my face.
"Yes, you feel that thirst? If you don't kill anyone, that will never go away."
My throat ripped open into flames.
This pain was even worse than the bite.
"Also, I think I may have some information, which, shall we say, may be of interest to you."
Despite myself, curiosity did get the better of me, "What do you mean?"
"Let's just to say, I know the vampire you seek."
I looked at him suspiciously; I knew their games, "how?"
"Many vampires pass through here. I know all those that do." He spoke in a matter-of-fact, offhand manner.
"And why would you help me? What have you got to gain from it?"
Vampires do not do anything for anyone, unless they benefit from it in some way.
"Well we all need each other, Sasha. I do you a favour, it's only proper for you to do me one."
I knew there would be a catch...what did he want?
"And what do you want in return?"
"Well it's not really for me; you see it'll help you too." His smirk grew wider.
What did he think would "help" me?
I had a feeling I would not like this...
"Care to clarify? I don't make deals with vamps."
He laughed, "Well you are one now, so it's no different to making a deal with humans. And that's what I'm talking about. Humans. Killing one."
He was only echoing my already established concerns.
I couldn't change what I was now...
"I'm not killing anyone! And, for your information, I'm nothing like you."
I couldn't kill anyone, vampires don't count as people; therefore I never felt any remorse. And with good reason, look at what they've done to me...
"Oh, you're more like me than you know, and you're willing to admit. And you won't be able to resist, you'll give in, you have to succumb to it, that's how it is."
I considered this briefly, and when I answered, I meant what I said, "I'll kill myself first."
"I know you'd try and starve yourself, causing your death, but you can't refrain long enough for that"
"I'll stake myself. Not starve. Or, better yet, Edgar will stake me."
I didn't really know what I would do...maybe the Frogs would have an idea? As much as it pained me to have to admit that I'd been wrong to a couple of kids like that...no, I couldn't. Not for the sake of my pride, but because I'd forgotten for a moment – the Frogs would stake first, ask later.
Pyro? How could I admit to him that I'd completely messed things up? That I'd ignored his warnings and fell headlong into this position? How could I ever admit this to anyone?
Sasha. The girl who brought about her own demise, entirely due to her own stupidity.
I'd made this mistake, now I had to fix it.
"Ah, yes, Edgar Frog. He won't be staking anyone when I'm done." David's eyes glinted, as he relished in prospect of killing Edgar.
"All right, that takes us back to option one: stake myself."
I reached down, intending to remove the stake from my boot. But could I really do it? Did I really have the strength to drive it through my own heart? Although I wished this were the case, I was a realistic person, and I knew that this would be my very last resort. I could only hope that if it came to that, I'd be able to perform the blow.
"You don't need to do that, Sasha. You could make a very special vampire, consider staying with us," He spoke softly, his voice enticing.
It was difficult to focus on my initial objective – do not agree to anything he says. Vampires are liars. And David was one hell of an actor.
"I can't stay with vampires...I've spent my whole life killing them..."
"Yes, but you weren't one then. Now you are. You aren't going to kill your own kind, are you, Sasha?"
It was difficult to counter his question. Like I said, I'm a practical person, and I couldn't argue with the facts. I was, and I always would be, part, if not all, vampire.
"I'm still half-human."
"Not for long" His voice was low, sly. Clearly this was not intended for me to catch.
Perhaps he had disregarded the fact that my hearing was now about on par with his?
He began to walk away; he cast me a curious glance as he took a step, as if wondering if I were going to follow.
I feverishly looked around, suddenly frightened by the prospect of being left here, alone. What about if I couldn't control myself? What if I did kill someone? What if Edgar and Alan found me?
And, most importantly, what if David really could lead me to my objective in life? What if I could finally kill those vampires?
Even if I killed myself, I could maybe get them first. Was I willing to just let him walk away?
Even as I ran this through in my head, I knew that this had been his intent, luring me to follow. Dangling a carrot in front of me. As much as I hated him for this, I couldn't help but admire his methods, I'd admit it; he was smart.
In spite of myself, I had to find out if he could really help me.
"Wait! Where're you going?"
He glanced over his shoulder, as if he had known that I would stop him. Actually, I knew that he knew that I would stop him from leaving.
"I'm going to our cave, are you coming or are you going to sit here alone all night?"
That idea did scare me a little...
"What do you do there?" I questioned him suspiciously, I'd never seen inside a lair of more than one vampire, and somehow, I didn't think they only slept there.
"Whatever you want, Sasha. It's your cave now too." David was definitely the elusive sort.
He was dangling another carrot. He'd seen my memories; he knew I'd never had a real home, nor family, after my parents did what they had to do.
It appealed and repulsed me, simultaneously. The idea of a family was so tempting...but I knew that I couldn't do that with vampires...even if I were one too.
My brother's shadow would always be that factor which prevented me from ever feeling compassion for these creatures.
Maybe I could pass on the details of these vampires to the Frogs; maybe they could eventually kill them all. It was a stretch, but hey, stranger things have happened.
"How many stay there?" Hopefully it was only the four of them; I didn't think I could handle it, if there were more. Four was plenty.
"Myself and the others from last night."
I sighed in relief, maybe the Frogs would manage...at least, I sure hoped so.
"I guess I don't really have a choice..." It was true, I didn't. What were the options? Stay here, and risk being found by the Frogs, maybe end up killing some innocent bystander? I wasn't stupid; I knew that if the bloodlust got a hold of me, I'd be helpless to deny my instinct, much as it disgusted me. That left one other choice – give David what he wanted, and follow him.
"That a girl. Don't worry, soon you'll feel right at home." He sounded causal, relaxed.
I threw him a sharp glance; he was talking like this was a permanent thing. I had no intention of sticking around that long.
"That doesn't mean I'm happy about this." I told him, a warning note present in my tone.
He laughed quietly, "not yet," he whispered. At least that's what I thought he said, his voice was so low, it was difficult to distinguish his words.
I considered pressing him for an answer, but I let it go.
He resumed walking, and, after a further glance, I did, to my disgrace, follow him. A vampire. A vampire who had turned me, no less.
I was already puzzled by this vampire's behaviour, it was nothing like I'd ever experienced.
If I wasn't so caught up in this already, I would have said that it was a good learning curve.
Thing was, I reflected sadly, nothing would ever be the same again.
At the time I didn't realise it, but soon, I'd know just how true that statement was.
