Present.
Steph had been a vampire for a month now. Feeding was has painful as it was the first time as it was last night. Some time during her time in the mansion she came to the realization she couldn't go home. Not like this. Although she was tempted to take every drop out of Hunter's body she decided against it. Convincing herself the bitter taste of steroids would repulse her. Edge sat with her every night. He even brought out an old book of poetry to read to her sometimes. Christian was kind to her but kept away most of the time. Chris…well, Chris on the other hand, she hadn't seen since that night. She knew Edge and Christian saw him but he seemed to make himself scarce whenever she came around. Not that it bothered her. Chris was someone she'd rather avoid than confront.
While Edge and Christian played a game of chess by the fire, Steph decided she'd explore the back yard of her home. She walked past the kitchen. It was evident it hadn't been used in ages--if the cobwebs were any indication. At the end of the kitchen was a large wooden door. Steph pulled, flinging it quickly open. She couldn't quite get a handle on her own strength yet. The backyard seemed to be in fact a courtyard. The yard was boxed in on all sides by the stone structure. Steph furrowed her brow. She made a mental note to explore her home. She guessed she only knew the south and east wing of the mansion. She looked up at the clear sky. The half crescent moon shone down on her. In the center of the courtyard was an old fountain. It had dark, stagnant rain water in it's tub. Steph sat on the edge and sighed. She looked down when something caught her eye. She squinted and kneeled beside the fountain. A small patch of Irises were thriving here. She smiled and let her fingers run over the velvety petals. It was comforting thinking something could live within these walls. Beside it was the skeleton of a rose bush. There were no petals, no leaves. Just the foreboding thorns that wrapped their way around the dying stem. Her fingers curiously ran along the stem. "What are you doing in here?" Steph jumped, pricking her finger on the thorn. She softly hissed and looked at the drops of blood sprouting from her wound. She stood and looked around, seeing no one. Her vampiric eyes grew keen in the darkness. She needed to grow accustomed to her newer, sharper sight. Then she saw them. There. A pair of eyes illuminated by the moon. She held her bloody finger as Chris stepped from the corner of darkness. "What are you doing lurking in the shadows?" Chris walked closer. "I wasn't lurking…I was sitting…answer me." "I was trying to get away from all of you." "All of you?" "Vampires." He chuckled dryly. "You cant get away from yourself, honey." Steph looked at the flowers below her. "Who planted these?" Chris's face turned to stone. "It doesn't concern you." He moved away. Steph flashed him a dirty look. "No need to get hostile." Chris knelt down and gently petted the flowers. She watched him for a moment. A small smile played on his lips. He looked up at Steph and his smile froze, then faded. He stood quickly, startling Steph. He stared at her for a moment. His arm shot out, grabbing her hand. "You're bleeding." He said coldly. Steph tried to pull her arm away. "Im fine." She spat. But Chris had a good grip. He pulled her close. "Leave it to you to be careless…" He sighed. "…and to leave the thorn in there." He pulled her hand closer and quickly pulled out the large thorn. Steph gave out a tiny yelp. He let her go. "Have you fed?" Steph's eyes left her finger. "Why?" "Stop being so insolent. Answer me." "Yes." He nodded. A smile played on his lips. "Do you still mourn their souls?" He whispered. Steph looked at him, disgusted. "Maybe you can take a life with no heed but I cant." "Why fight the inevitable?" Steph moved away, walking in along the grass in desperate need of water. Chris watched her. She walked in a crème colored dress. It had sheer long sleeves and low neckline. He swallowed and looked away. She was too enticing for words. He clenched his fists together. His nails dug into his palms until they bled. Steph lifted her head. Blood. She could smell it. She turned to Chris. Her eyes fell on his fists. Steph gasped. "Your hands!" She walked towards him. The dark drops of blood fell onto the ground. She took his hand in hers. "Open your hands." "No." "Christopher--" Chris pulled away. "Don't call me that--don't call me anything. Get away." Steph's jaw was set. "I don't know what's going on in that pathetic head of yours but you need to stop the bleeding, now let me see." Chris reluctantly opened his hands. There were 4 deep gashes from his fingernails on each hand. Steph cringed. "You're bleeding." Chris looked down at his hands. His eyes were glassy with tears. "Its not my blood…" He said quietly. Steph tore the bottom of her dress and began to wrap his hands in them. "Of course it is--look." Chris looked at his hands. "Its not my blood…" He repeated. He took his fingers and opened her hand. He looked at her and smeared his blood on her hands. "Its yours." Steph stared at him. "Chris…" Chris moved away. "I said I wanted you to stay away from me." He said quietly. Steph watched, helpless as he walked away. There was something killing him inside. And she would bet it was Tessa.
Steph had been a vampire for a month now. Feeding was has painful as it was the first time as it was last night. Some time during her time in the mansion she came to the realization she couldn't go home. Not like this. Although she was tempted to take every drop out of Hunter's body she decided against it. Convincing herself the bitter taste of steroids would repulse her. Edge sat with her every night. He even brought out an old book of poetry to read to her sometimes. Christian was kind to her but kept away most of the time. Chris…well, Chris on the other hand, she hadn't seen since that night. She knew Edge and Christian saw him but he seemed to make himself scarce whenever she came around. Not that it bothered her. Chris was someone she'd rather avoid than confront.
While Edge and Christian played a game of chess by the fire, Steph decided she'd explore the back yard of her home. She walked past the kitchen. It was evident it hadn't been used in ages--if the cobwebs were any indication. At the end of the kitchen was a large wooden door. Steph pulled, flinging it quickly open. She couldn't quite get a handle on her own strength yet. The backyard seemed to be in fact a courtyard. The yard was boxed in on all sides by the stone structure. Steph furrowed her brow. She made a mental note to explore her home. She guessed she only knew the south and east wing of the mansion. She looked up at the clear sky. The half crescent moon shone down on her. In the center of the courtyard was an old fountain. It had dark, stagnant rain water in it's tub. Steph sat on the edge and sighed. She looked down when something caught her eye. She squinted and kneeled beside the fountain. A small patch of Irises were thriving here. She smiled and let her fingers run over the velvety petals. It was comforting thinking something could live within these walls. Beside it was the skeleton of a rose bush. There were no petals, no leaves. Just the foreboding thorns that wrapped their way around the dying stem. Her fingers curiously ran along the stem. "What are you doing in here?" Steph jumped, pricking her finger on the thorn. She softly hissed and looked at the drops of blood sprouting from her wound. She stood and looked around, seeing no one. Her vampiric eyes grew keen in the darkness. She needed to grow accustomed to her newer, sharper sight. Then she saw them. There. A pair of eyes illuminated by the moon. She held her bloody finger as Chris stepped from the corner of darkness. "What are you doing lurking in the shadows?" Chris walked closer. "I wasn't lurking…I was sitting…answer me." "I was trying to get away from all of you." "All of you?" "Vampires." He chuckled dryly. "You cant get away from yourself, honey." Steph looked at the flowers below her. "Who planted these?" Chris's face turned to stone. "It doesn't concern you." He moved away. Steph flashed him a dirty look. "No need to get hostile." Chris knelt down and gently petted the flowers. She watched him for a moment. A small smile played on his lips. He looked up at Steph and his smile froze, then faded. He stood quickly, startling Steph. He stared at her for a moment. His arm shot out, grabbing her hand. "You're bleeding." He said coldly. Steph tried to pull her arm away. "Im fine." She spat. But Chris had a good grip. He pulled her close. "Leave it to you to be careless…" He sighed. "…and to leave the thorn in there." He pulled her hand closer and quickly pulled out the large thorn. Steph gave out a tiny yelp. He let her go. "Have you fed?" Steph's eyes left her finger. "Why?" "Stop being so insolent. Answer me." "Yes." He nodded. A smile played on his lips. "Do you still mourn their souls?" He whispered. Steph looked at him, disgusted. "Maybe you can take a life with no heed but I cant." "Why fight the inevitable?" Steph moved away, walking in along the grass in desperate need of water. Chris watched her. She walked in a crème colored dress. It had sheer long sleeves and low neckline. He swallowed and looked away. She was too enticing for words. He clenched his fists together. His nails dug into his palms until they bled. Steph lifted her head. Blood. She could smell it. She turned to Chris. Her eyes fell on his fists. Steph gasped. "Your hands!" She walked towards him. The dark drops of blood fell onto the ground. She took his hand in hers. "Open your hands." "No." "Christopher--" Chris pulled away. "Don't call me that--don't call me anything. Get away." Steph's jaw was set. "I don't know what's going on in that pathetic head of yours but you need to stop the bleeding, now let me see." Chris reluctantly opened his hands. There were 4 deep gashes from his fingernails on each hand. Steph cringed. "You're bleeding." Chris looked down at his hands. His eyes were glassy with tears. "Its not my blood…" He said quietly. Steph tore the bottom of her dress and began to wrap his hands in them. "Of course it is--look." Chris looked at his hands. "Its not my blood…" He repeated. He took his fingers and opened her hand. He looked at her and smeared his blood on her hands. "Its yours." Steph stared at him. "Chris…" Chris moved away. "I said I wanted you to stay away from me." He said quietly. Steph watched, helpless as he walked away. There was something killing him inside. And she would bet it was Tessa.