Note: Sorry it took so long to write this, I'm juggling between this story, two Scott Pilgrim stories and another Cirque Du Freak. Please be patient with me :3 thank you so much for any of you following this story! :D
Chapter 12
The sun started going down at around 7 -according to my digital, waterproof watch. It was almost time for the vampire to get up. Standing I headed towards the shack. Opening the door I saw that it was pitch black. Probably a preferred spot for a vampire.
Shutting the door I waited for my eyes to adjust before venturing in any farther. There were boarded up windows. Rays of light barely came in through the crack. I looked up at the cieling for him. It was sad, school boy Darren Shan having to wake up a Vampire. Stepping forward, I looked everywhere for himm. Hopefully he wasn't hiding up in the rafters.
Suddenly my foot collided with something. I hit the floor. Whatever it was I had tripped on was huge and covered in cloth. Oh man, what if it was a dead body? Whirling around I stared at the lump in the middle of the floor with wide eyes. It shifted, groaning.
"What...are you doing?" A deep voice groaned. Was...was that Mr. Crepsley?
"M-Mr. Crepsley?" I whispered, shaking a bit. How had he ended up on the floor? Was he attacked?
"Who else do you think it is?" He sat up, looking at me with narrow eyes. Although it was pitch black in there, I could still see his eyes perfectly.
"Why are you on the floor?"
"Why else would I be on the floor? I was sleeping." he replied, sounding irritated. "Why do you think I would be on the floor?"
"Well...maybe you were attacked? I mean, aren't vampires supposed to sleep on the cieling? In bat form?" he stopped, staring at me. He started laughing, the shed filling up with his cackling. I stared at him, quickly getting irritated. Why was he laughing?
"We do not turn into bats, Darren." He hooted, wiping at his eyes. Vampires do not turn into bats, they do not turn into spiders, they cannot phase through walls or anything of that nature. We are not shape shifters, Garlic does not hurt us, crosses do nothing for us."
"But...what about a stake through the heart?"
"Of course that kills us, but so do bullets, or being electrocuted." He crossed his arms. Looking up he sniffed the air. "The sun is going down. I guess it is time for me to get up anyway. Although I could have been granted another hour or so without rudely being kicked in the face." He stood up, brushing himself off. "Anyway, did you decide?" Looking up, I nodded, pushing myself to my feet.
"Yeah, I decided." He looked at me, nodding. Turning he headed for the door.
"Good, tell me over breakfast." He replied. I cocked an eyebrow, following him.
"Breakfast? Wouldn't it be dinner?"
"By which one of our clocks? Mine or yours?" Stepping through the door he stretched, his body quivering at the height of his stretching. Letting his arms fall to his sides he itched the scar on his cheek. "Is there any food left?" He questioned. I nodded and headed over to the fire.
"If you want I could quickly whip together a stew or something." I replied, pulling some crab out of the pot.
"Do you know how to cook stew?" He sat down. I shot him a look.
"I'm not stupid."
"I did not say you were." He crossed his legs, getting the fire roaring again. "I was just simply asking if you knew how to make a nice, thick, flavorful stew, and not a watered down soup." I stopped. The only time I made stew; it came out flavorless and watery. I remember it was pretty bad. Grunting I stopped, rubbing my forehead.
"Actually...it...it was pretty gross." He laughed lightly and shook his head.
"Alright, then I will teach you how to make stew. Make sure you pay attention." He stood up, signaling me to follow. I followed him into the woods where we liberated some herbs and vegetables from a person's personal garden. After that we headed down to the ocean again picking up some more meat like ingredients and then headed back. "Now," He sat down again removing his collapsible pot that he'd washed down by the ocean. "Whenever you wash pots in the ocean, remember do not scrub for a long amount of time, the salt will corrode the metal over time and damage them. If they have Teflon scrub even less or else the Teflon will peel."
He placed the pot on the fire and poured some water from a large container he pulled out of his bag.
"What else do you have in there?" I asked curiously. He stopped and stared at me, saying nothing. I started to feel self-conscious the more he stared until he eventually broke the silence.
"None of your business." He replied putting his large container of water to the side and blanching the fish and things he couldn't eat straight. I frowned and sat back, my arms crossed. He didn't look at me, instead he threw the salt water shrimp, jellyfish and crab into the pot. "Do not pout." He commented.
"Who's pouting?" I replied slightly bitter.
"That is a very good question. And I take it I have three guesses, the first two do not count?" He stopped and finally looked at me. "First you boil the meats. Do not drain them, that is where most of the flavor will come from."
"I hate seafood." I muttered.
"Then do not eat. But you better pay attention because although you may not eat it, you will prepare it for me." He then threw the vegetables in. In a separate container he added a small bit of white colored powder from a bag he had been carrying around with him.
"What's that?" I asked as he slipped it into the smaller bit of water and stirred, letting it dissolve.
"What do you think it is?" He questioned, putting it away.
"I don't know, it could be a lot of things, like crack." I commented. He stopped moving all together. I didn't even think he was breathing. Slowly he looked up at me, and straightened up.
"Mr. Shan." He started his voice low. "Are you by any chance engaged in illegal activities? Because if you are, I do not want to deal with your addictions and I will not risk being caught up with the human law force because you cannot break your bad habits." I had no idea what he was talking about. I looked at him then at the bag of white powder confused. Then it hit me. I gasped and growled in return.
"I'm not a crack head! Do I look like I do drugs?"
"No, but usually when someone pulls out a bag of white powder other things come to mind before an illegal substance. Like Flour, or corn starch, sugar or salt. Baking soda or powder, but usually not crack, as you humans like to call it now." He replied putting the bag away. "It is flour. The flour will be used to thicken your stew because we do not have meats with high fat content. If we did then the fat would thicken our stew up nicely, along with the starches from our potatoes." He waited then threw the flour and water in and put the lid on the pot and waited. "So, you said that you have decided." He crossed his arms, waiting. I nodded.
"Yeah," It was silent.
"Well…are you going to tell me or are you going to make me guess?" He replied sarcastically. I glared at him.
"You're a grumpy old bat when you wake up, aren't you?" He itched the scar on the side of his face again, looking off at the sky.
"I am actually in a good mood tonight, so you should savor it." He looked back at me. "What have you decided on?" I sighed. I was expecting a little more from him. Like excitement, or anger or something. But he was so emotionless. So…not…caring. He was like an emotional vampire…
"I uh…decided to become your assistant." I replied back. He blinked a couple times, a smile stretching across his face.
"Did you? You will not be able to see your family for a long time, and your friends. Are you sure you want to?" He quizzed. I nodded. Why was he asking me when I gave him my answer? "Alright, then I have one more test that we must go through in order for me to accept you completely." He pushed himself to his feet and took a couple steps away from the fire. "Follow me." Pushing myself to my feet I followed him, stopping when he stopped abruptly. He turned and faced me. Reaching forward he grabbed my hand and looked at me. "This will hurt only a little." He replied. Before I could question his actions he jammed his thumb nail into my palm. Yelping I ripped my arm away and snarled, looking at it as it welled up with blood.
"What the hell are you doing?" I shrieked, looking as the blood trickled down around my hand.
"I am testing your blood. This will be the last test before you become my assistant, now give me your hand." He held his hand out again.
"Why? So you can rip my fingers off next?" I hissed.
"Will you stop being a baby and give me your hand before I change my mind and send you home!" He snarled back. I hesitated. Groaning I held my hand out and looked away. Grabbing my wrist he leaned down and dragged his tongue over my palm.
"Ugh, it's gross." I muttered.
"Deal with it." He replied, his words muffled by my wrist. He started sucking on the wound, his tongue swirling around it. I stared at him, feeling my heart race a bit. I clicked my teeth wondering if he was testing me or feeding off of me. Then the tip of his tongue glided across the cut and a mixture of stinging and pleasure came from it. I gasped and ripped my hand away. He looked up at me confused, cocking an eyebrow. "The problem, Mr. Shan?"
"Why the hell are you making love to my hand!" I squeaked, looking down at it.
"I was not. Has your mother never told you to stop playing with your cuts or they will not heal?" He replied, standing up straight again.
"No," I replied, looking at him wondering if there was some sort of cool vampire trick behind that saying.
"Neither has mine, I did not learn of that saying until I was already blooded. You see, Darren, if you stimulate the wound it will not heal. Therefore you do not have to keep opening up the hole because the blood refuses to come out of it." He explained. I glared at him but he ignored it. "I was testing your blood do not get so testy, now, give me your hand again." I hesitated, looking at his open hand as he waited for me to show him mine again. Sighing I put my hand in his. Turning my palm around he spit into the palm of my hand and rubbed the spit in.
"That's gross." I groaned, looking away.
"Hush." He replied then wiped the spit off with the corner cloak. I looked down at it. The cut was healed, only a small scar rested in its place.
"Whoa," I marveled, looking at it. "It's…healed." I looked up at him again. Nodding he poke cuts into the tips of his fingers with his nails.
"Yes, vampire spit has healing properties. Hold your hands up." I looked at him confused and held my hands up, feeling a lot like a suction cup Garfield cat. He put up his hands and quickly jabbed his nails into the tips of my fingers. I yelped and looked at them as blood welled up. "Are you going to holler everytime something small hurts you?" he cocked an eyebrow, staring at me.
"Oh just shut up and do what you're going to do orange boy!" I hissed and snapped my hands out. Snickering he pushed his fingertips to mine. I felt fire run through my veins. It was a warm fire, not a burning sensation. Somehow, I felt up close and personal to him. Suddenly a sharp pain ruptured through my heart. I gasped and pulled away, grabbing at my chest.
"What was that?" I wheezed, shaking a bit.
"That was my blood reaching your heart. You are now a half vampire." He replied. I stared up at him horrified.
"Half vampire? I thought you said I was your assistant?" I shrieked.
"You are my assistant." He cocked an eyebrow then spit on his fingertips. "You did not honestly think I would allow a human to follow me around did you? You would be killed within months of being a human assistant. Besides, vampires do not take on human assistants for a good reason. They are too easy to lose, and too hard to replace. You are a half vampire so that you may benefit me. Do not worry though, you have access to day light and can still mingle amongst the humans. I will not deprive you of leaving your human world so quickly."
"But…what about someday returning home to my family! You promised me I could someday!" I cried.
"I promised no such thing. I said you would not be allowed to see your family for a long time. You can return and see them when they have forgiven the Gods of removing you from their life, but you must not interact with them. That is the way of a vampires assistant." He replied.
"You…you lying, conning, leech!" I lunged at him, my fist colliding with his cheek. He pulled back and glared at me.
"You will not strike at me!" he swung back. Digging his fist into my stomach I wretched and hit the ground, losing all of the food that was in my stomach. I could feel my lungs tear under the harsh pressure of his fist and my vision blurred as I slumped to my knees. "You agreed to offer! You accepted the terms! Do not blame me because you did not ask for further details of our contract! What is done is done and you must deal with your decision!" he stood over me and snarled. "And if you ever strike me again I promise every bone in your hand will be broken to the point where it will never heal again!" I cried as he growled, holding my stomach. Curling up I cradled myself pathetically and cried. It must have been a pitiful sight, especially to a vampire, but I couldn't control it. I was a vampire now, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Suddenly a warm hand grasped my shoulder, a deep sigh came from his lips. "I did not know you were not planning to abandon that life all together," he whispered. His voice was deep, and smooth and calming. "I was too harsh on you, and I should not have struck you back. I understand you were only acting out of panic, but you must understand, that when communication is faulty mistakes are made. You are a child of the night now, and I promise, it will not be as bad as you believe it to be."
"Won't be as bad?" I snapped his hand away and shoved myself to my knees. "I'm a freak! Here I was thinking I'd just be your assistant for a few years and go home when I was tired of seeing the world, but no! You had to pump your putrid blood in me!" I snarled, then coughed, doubling over again. His arm stretch out. Wrapping around my upper body he pulled me around so my back was facing him and dragged me back so that I was practically sitting in his lap. His other hand went down, rubbing at the spot I clutched at.
"You are a cryptic boy Master Shan," he whispered, then chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "You are like him, only more ill-tempered." I squirmed to remove myself from his grasp, but part of me wanted to just lay there. It was a comforting gesture, one that made the pain subside quickly.
"Who?" I groaned, giving up when his grip proved to be unbreakable.
"Master Von." He replied, snorting.
"Who?" I looked up. He had a thoughtful smile on his face.
"Ah, Evra, the snake boy." He repeated. I grimaced at the thought and sighed, looking down.
"I'm a horrible person."
"What do you mean?" He looked down at me confused.
"I freaking killed him!" I threw my arms up. He laughed and shook his head, rolling his eyes.
"I think not. I doubt Hibernius would allow the young Von to die. Not to mention, he is too stubborn to let something small like poison bring him down." It was shocking to hear someone mention poison as something small, but none the less, I hoped he was right. I would hate to have a death on my conscience because I did something stupid like steal a spider. "How about breakfast and a toast to your awakening as a child of the night. Let us offer up a prayer to the Gods as well" he smiles slipping out from under me and standing up. I grimaced at him, glaring a bit.
"I don't need a prayer from no God's." I muttered. Grinning he chuckled lightly.
"I did not mean for you, I meant for me. I have a feeling I will need it." He turned his back on me and took a seat next to the fire.
"Hey!" I growled, standing and followed him. So that was officially it? The end of my human life…who knew what it'd get me into.
