Erik wasn't certain how long he would be able to hide things. The hunger wasn't going away. He kept finding himself watching people, his eyes lingering on throats or wrists, finding a pulse as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Smells, both good and bad, seemed stronger, more intense than they had been before.
He kept expecting Henner to notice the way the vampires couldn't surprise him in the cemeteries anymore, not the ones clawing up from the earth or the ones appointed to collect the newly awakened. Nikki was watching him almost as much as the graves now, having figured out that Erik knew when there was a vampire present. He just didn't know why Nikki wasn't trying to figure out how he did it, wasn't considering that something might be wrong with him.
The only good thing was that he was starting to get the hang of cutting hardwood into the right shape for a sword, for grinding something approximating an edge onto the wood. They never lasted very long, but the wooden swords were good against vampires, and if they broke, they simply became long stakes. He was getting better at working around the greater strength and speed of a vampire.
He didn't know it, but everything would change that night. It started like any other cemetery vigil. There was a grave, the earth still heaped over it like a fresh scab. Henner hadn't gone with them, muttering something about his journals, and a letter from France. Nikki had smirked, glancing at Erik as Henner had excused himself.
"That's alright. Erik can walk me home. He won't let anything bad happen to me." She'd smiled, leaning against him with her arm wrapped around his waist.
He'd turned, kissing her temple, a small corner of him counting her pulse. His voice was soft as he whispered. "Of course not. You're my only friend in the whole world. I'd rather die than let something happen to you."
Nikki shivered, and looked at him, her eyes full of worry. "Erik? Is there something wrong? Is there something that we can do to fix what's bothering you?"
In that moment, he wanted to tell her everything. To explain what was going on, to ask if she could help him find answers. But how could he explain when he didn't even understand it himself? The closest that he could put it into words – I think I'm turning into a vampire – would also be the worst possible way to say anything. Instead, he sighed, and looked away, towards the cemetery. "I wish you could, Nikki. I really wish we could fix this. But we can't, so let's just go watch over the graves."
"If you're sure." Nikki had just shook her head, no doubt thinking that he'd tell her in time. "There's supposed to be a double tonight, two suspicious bodies. I made sure that I had a couple extra stakes, just in case."
"Two of them?" Erik frowned, feeling uneasy about the whole situation. "That's different. Are the vamps getting more active, or is he just getting more confident that we can handle things?"
"We are getting better." She'd smiled, and one hand had reached into her jacket, producing a stake to offer him. "It's only right that he should start to notice it too."
Erik gave up, still certain that there was something wrong with the whole mess. This didn't feel right, although that could have been the hunger clawing inside of him. Except… Henner always watched them at the gravesides, always sat there with his little notebook. If he wasn't there, how would he know how the night had gone?
He couldn't relax as they waited near the graves. It was as if the air itched against his skin, or carried some sort of current. The air smelled wrong, filled with the smells of dying flowers, upturned earth, vampires, and something like rotting banana. He didn't know what could have left the banana stench, or what the vampires had wanted. Erik was more worried about the questions of would they be back?
He could hear something, like a sort of slow, rasping breathing. It was coming from one of the large mausoleums, and it gave him a cold, unhappy feeling. It wasn't the same as fear, but there was definitely a good helping of fear in the mix. He was certain that the sound was something big breathing, and that it was very dangerous.
There was a scrabbling sound, and the soil piled over one grave started to rattle, a sign of something inside rising from the grave. Probably another vampire. He gripped the sword, hoping that this one would last long enough tonight for two vampires. There was a sound like a snarl, and the grave almost exploded outwards. The vampire was there, his face distorted by a heavier brow, sharp, uneven teeth, and yellow eyes. His claws looked vicious, and he was looking right at Nikki.
Erik lunged forward, his sharpened wooden sword drawing blood across one arm, making the vampire hiss. This one seemed stronger and faster than the other new-risen that they'd fought. The two of them were managing to hold it steady, but both picking up a number of bruises and scrapes. The scent of blood wafted through the air. Erik was just glad that the vampire was growling enough to disguise his stomach's reaction to smelling the blood.
Behind them, he could hear the dirt rattling as the second grave's occupant dug himself out, fighting to emerge. And he would be hungry. How could he pass up the opportunity to make a grab for the tasty treat that Nikki smelled like? They wouldn't be able to hold both of them off, and he didn't know if they'd get any lucky breaks tonight.
He'd have to try something desperate to change things before the second vampire could join in the fight. Hoping that Nikki could keep the vampire from ripping his spine out, or something equally devastating, he dropped to one knee as he lunged forward, hacking his sword towards the vampire's knee. The bone shattered with a series of popping sounds, and he could hear the cartilage tear in a spray of blood.
The air filled with blood and screams. For a moment, Erik couldn't quite sort it out. But the vampire in front of him was screaming over his knee, collapsing towards the ground in what felt like slow motion. Nikki was staring at something behind him, her eyes wide as she screamed. And there was another, higher pitched scream that he thought might be from the other vampire.
Erik spun around, catching sight of the just risen vampire being lifted up by a thing. It was as tall as an elephant, and covered with loose, wrinkly skin the exact shade of a rotten banana peel. Two broad legs ended in clawed toes that reminded him of an ostrich. Similar looking arms were lifting the vampire, the talons having sunk into the vampire's body. The whole shoulder mass seemed to just spill upwards, ending in a ragged opening lined with teeth, almost like a lamprey.
The thing devoured the vampire in three messy bites.
Erik and Nikki darted away from the thing, neither one knowing what it was, and neither wanting to be any closer. Just because the first person that the giant monster had eaten was a vampire didn't mean that it was on a vampires-only diet, after all. They watched n horror as it reached out, claws sinking into the vampire who's ruined knee wouldn't allow him to run, and soon, he was also devoured.
The lumbering thing turned, and it's eyeless face pointed towards Erik. It made a few snuffling noises, and the blood-smeared claws flexed, opening and closing over nothing. It made the same slow, harsh breathing that he'd heard earlier. After a few very long minutes, it turned away, lumbering back towards the mausoleum.
"Time to go. Right now." Nikki's voice was shaking, and the scent of her fear carried over to Erik.
He stood up, his whole body trembling. The only possible good thing that he could see about the monster was that it had left them be, apparently only interested in eating vampires. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
Her hand slid into his, and she clung to him as they moved as fast as they could walk back towards Henner's place. They didn't want the attention that running would bring, but didn't want to linger. Erik didn't speak, knowing that his teeth had become fangs again, wanting to hide that from Nikki.
Reaching the apartment building where Henner lived, Erik turned to look at Nikki. He didn't want to let go, didn't want to let her walk away. And a part of him wanted to pull her close, to lick the blood from her cheek, to nip at her throat. To drink her.
"Erik…" Her voice was soft, trembling with too many emotions.
Then, she reached over, pulling him close as her lips met his. They kissed, and he could taste blood in her mouth, knew that she'd bitten her lip or the inside of her cheek during the fight. And it tasted so good, so tempting…
"Nikki! You're back?" Henner's voice called out, making Nikki jump back, startled.
"You'd best go talk to him. Maybe he can find the devouring giant in one of those books?" Erik fought to control the hunger, fought not to grab her back and kiss her, to bite into her throat.
"Good idea, I guess." She glanced down, and her fingers played over his chest. "Erik, I… I'll see you later tonight, alright?"
Erik stood there, watching as she entered the building, listening for her footsteps as she made her way to Henner's place. He could even hear the man's words.
"Nikki… You're injured. So much for your faith that Erik would keep you safe." The dismissive tone set Erik's teeth on edge.
"This vampire was different, stronger somehow." Nikki's objection was swift. "Besides, there was… there was something else."
"Other than the vampire that you fought?" Henner sounded almost dismissive.
"Yeah, other than the two vampires that rose." Nikki was angry, and probably glaring. "There was this thing, like it had a giant mass of rotten banana over the world's largest and scariest ostrich. It ate the vampires. Just three bites, and they were gone."
"Oh." Henner sounded taken aback, as if he'd never expected something like his. "I still think the boy's a liability."
"How could Erik be a liability?" Nikki's confusion was easy to pick out. Below, Erik wondered the same thing.
"It's obvious that you care about him. This makes him a potential weakness, a hostage that could be used to attack you." Henner's voice was calm, impersonal. "And he's a young man, all of this probably seems like a great adventure to him, some excitement for a while, and then he'll be tired of it."
"Erik wouldn't quit." Nikki's voice allowed for no argument.
"Then something will kill him to get to you." Henner's tone hinted that he thought this would be a good thing.
Erik realized that he was growling, and that he'd just punched through the wall in front of him. Worried, he carefully released his fist, and pulled his hand out, shaking away the broken brick and the bits of insulation. How had he managed to do that? But more disturbingly, the anger was intensifying the hunger.
"Erik wouldn't do that! He's not like that." The anger in her voice was alarming.
Frowning, Erik realized that he must have missed something. How had they gone from Henner suggesting that he'd abandon Nikki to her insisting he wouldn't so… something? Was the question still him abandoning her? How dare Henner keep badgering her like this? Just because she didn't blindly follow him, didn't let him dictate every aspect of her life…
He was still growling, and he could feel his teeth, sharp against the insides of his lips. The idea of going up there and ripping Henner apart, of drinking him down into silence was so strong, so appealing. But he didn't want to become a monster, didn't want Nikki to hate him.
He ran from the apartment building, terrified of what he might do if he stayed. There had to be a way to keep this inner monster, this hunger quiet. Something… the image of blood came into his mind again, flowing from cuts, pooling beneath a cut of meat. Maybe that would work? If he managed to get a cut of meat, would the blood in that help? Surely that would be safer than ripping Henner apart, even if it was less satisfying?
Erik wasn't certain if he'd actually managed to make the fangs go away or if the bored looking man at the late night deli just didn't care. He had come up with enough to get a small cut of meat, probably a bit tough, but it looked very bloody. The plan still sounded crazy, even in his own mind, but he paid for the meat, and made his way out of the deli, heading back towards the gym where he stayed.
The smell of the meat and the blood tempted him the whole trip back. It slid through the layers of plastic wrap, teasing at his nostrils, taunting his stomach. He'd barely made it to the place before he ripped the plastic open, tilting it up to swallow down the blood that had oozed out of the cut, licking the last dangling droplet from the styrofoam tray before devouring the meat.
Afterwards, he felt better, the coppery taste still thick in his mouth, and the meat feeling heavy in his stomach. Part of him wanted to be revolted, and another part was just glad that he hadn't attacked something, or someone.
The hunger was so strong now that he couldn't just ignore it away, and he didn't know if it would grow any stronger. For now, a cut of raw meat had made it subside. But what if it grew stronger? What if it grew to the point where he would consider attacking someone, consider taking their blood by force just to make the clawing burning hunger go away?
He couldn't let himself become a danger here. Not where Nikki would be the one forced to deal with him. And since he didn't know if he'd become a danger or not, and he had nobody that he'd trust to be able to help… He would have to leave.
But not without saying goodbye to Nikki. They were to much to each other for too long not to say goodbye, not to let her know how much this hurt. He felt miserable as he shuffled his way to the Wood house. It didn't even occur to him that he shouldn't have been able to leap up, landing in a crouch on the top of the back porch. Lightly, he made his way to her window, tapping on the glass.
"Erik!" Nikki smiled at him, her vice soft. "You'll have to be quiet, Dad's in one of those moods again."
He slid in through the window, and tried to smile. "Nikki…"
"What's wrong? How did you scrape up your hand?" She caught his fingers, staring at the hand that he'd put through the wall of Henner's apartment building. There were a multitude of tiny scrapes, nothing even serious enough to demand a band-aid.
"My hand will be okay. That's not really why I'm here." He wished that he could find the right words, and hoped that she wouldn't hate him.
"Something's wrong, isn't it? If Henner said anything to you… He's wrong. I know he is." Nikki's voice was a fierce whisper.
"Something's wrong, but it's not exactly Henner." Erik sat on the edge of her bed, his shoulders and head slumping forwards. "Something's wrong with me, and it's getting worse."
"What sort of something? Have you… have you even considered seeing a doctor?" Nikki settled beside him, her arm sliding around him.
"A doctor wouldn't be able to help with this. It's not…. It's something weird, and scary. The only person that I know of who might even be able to find out anything is Henner, and…" Erik tried to consider how to put this so that he wouldn't sound as deranged as Henner had. "He'd probably try to find answers if you had something wrong. But I don't think he'd be very helpful for me."
"How weird is weird?" She cupped her hand over his cheek, and looked into his eyes. "Talk to me, please."
"I can see out there, in the dark. I can hear things… That's how I know when the vampires are coming out of the graves, I can hear them clawing their way up. I'm stronger, strong enough to fight a vampire." Erik paused, licking his lips in uncertainty, tasting the lingering flavor of blood. "And there's been… I had fangs earlier. Fangs and some cravings. I ended up picking up a cut of meat at the deli… I barely even unwrapped the thing before I ate it.""
"But what's…" Her heartbeat had picked up, and she was looking at him, her lovely eyes wide and confused. "Why is this happening to you?"
"I don't know. I don't even know what this is, or if I'm done changing." Erik reached out, resting his scraped hand on her knee, his thumb rubbing over her smooth skin. "I don't have any answers."
"It almost sounds like the sort of things to look for with a vampire." She looked at him, and then glanced at the small mirror on her dresser, laying at an angle on a pile of clean shirts.
"I still reflect. I can go out into the sunlight. I've still got a heartbeat." He looked back at his hand, willing himself not to cry, not to fall apart and weep into her shoulder. Especially not if there was a chance that he might bite.
"No wonder you're confused." Nikki leaned closer, her head resting on his shoulder. "What are you planning?"
"I can't stay. The cravings… they're getting stronger. You've got no idea how much I wanted to rip Henner apart tonight, and the scary part is that I think I could do it. Part of me might even enjoy it." He hated letting her see this strange new part of himself, even if only a little. "That scares me, Nikki. I don't want to turn into a monster."
Nikki made a small noise, as if she'd started to say something and stopped herself. There was the faint scent of salt.
"If I stay, if this changing isn't finished, Henner will try to make you kill me. Even if there's no me left inside… And I can't do that to you, I don't want there to be a chance that you and I would have to fight like that." He looked up, hoping that she would understand. "I don't want to hurt you, don't want there to be any chance of that. But this thing that's happening…"
Her lips caught his, gently cutting off his words. "If this is goodbye, then let's make certain there's a little bit of sweet to go with the sorrow."
Erik nodded, his hands sliding over her smooth skin, feeling the lean muscles. He carefully undid the buttons of her nightgown, letting it fall to the floor as he kissed over her skin. Along her collar bone, her shoulder, her breasts… He wanted to memorize every inch of her. This was goodbye.
The fangs came back as they were moving together, their skin tingling with passion and pleasure, their blood rushing through them. That dangerous part of him wanted to bite, wanted to taste her, drink of her blood. He even nipped at her throat, drawing the faintest lines of blood with the sharp teeth before he could pull away with a groan. Nikki tasted wonderful.
Laying there, their bodies slick with sweat, she looked at him. One hand raised up, touching the thin lines on her neck, over her pulse. "You… let me see."
Erik looked at her, seeing the raised lines on her neck, the droplets of blood that had welled up, and slowly licked his lips. "Nikki… I'm sorry. God, I'm sorry."
"You didn't hurt me, Erik." Her arms slid around him, and she hugged him, her head resting on his chest. "You didn't hurt me. But I understand why you're afraid now."
"I wish that I could stay. You need someone better than Henner to watch your back. But if I did stay… The risk is so damn high." He kissed the top of her head.
"Promise me… Promise that you'll try to be careful. That you'll try to find help, instead of just going off somewhere to die." Her whisper was soft, full of a tangle of emotions.
Holding her close, Erik wondered if there was someone out there who could help him. If there was a solution. "I'll be careful. And I'll never forget you, you're too big a part of me to ever be forgotten."
End part 6.
He kept expecting Henner to notice the way the vampires couldn't surprise him in the cemeteries anymore, not the ones clawing up from the earth or the ones appointed to collect the newly awakened. Nikki was watching him almost as much as the graves now, having figured out that Erik knew when there was a vampire present. He just didn't know why Nikki wasn't trying to figure out how he did it, wasn't considering that something might be wrong with him.
The only good thing was that he was starting to get the hang of cutting hardwood into the right shape for a sword, for grinding something approximating an edge onto the wood. They never lasted very long, but the wooden swords were good against vampires, and if they broke, they simply became long stakes. He was getting better at working around the greater strength and speed of a vampire.
He didn't know it, but everything would change that night. It started like any other cemetery vigil. There was a grave, the earth still heaped over it like a fresh scab. Henner hadn't gone with them, muttering something about his journals, and a letter from France. Nikki had smirked, glancing at Erik as Henner had excused himself.
"That's alright. Erik can walk me home. He won't let anything bad happen to me." She'd smiled, leaning against him with her arm wrapped around his waist.
He'd turned, kissing her temple, a small corner of him counting her pulse. His voice was soft as he whispered. "Of course not. You're my only friend in the whole world. I'd rather die than let something happen to you."
Nikki shivered, and looked at him, her eyes full of worry. "Erik? Is there something wrong? Is there something that we can do to fix what's bothering you?"
In that moment, he wanted to tell her everything. To explain what was going on, to ask if she could help him find answers. But how could he explain when he didn't even understand it himself? The closest that he could put it into words – I think I'm turning into a vampire – would also be the worst possible way to say anything. Instead, he sighed, and looked away, towards the cemetery. "I wish you could, Nikki. I really wish we could fix this. But we can't, so let's just go watch over the graves."
"If you're sure." Nikki had just shook her head, no doubt thinking that he'd tell her in time. "There's supposed to be a double tonight, two suspicious bodies. I made sure that I had a couple extra stakes, just in case."
"Two of them?" Erik frowned, feeling uneasy about the whole situation. "That's different. Are the vamps getting more active, or is he just getting more confident that we can handle things?"
"We are getting better." She'd smiled, and one hand had reached into her jacket, producing a stake to offer him. "It's only right that he should start to notice it too."
Erik gave up, still certain that there was something wrong with the whole mess. This didn't feel right, although that could have been the hunger clawing inside of him. Except… Henner always watched them at the gravesides, always sat there with his little notebook. If he wasn't there, how would he know how the night had gone?
He couldn't relax as they waited near the graves. It was as if the air itched against his skin, or carried some sort of current. The air smelled wrong, filled with the smells of dying flowers, upturned earth, vampires, and something like rotting banana. He didn't know what could have left the banana stench, or what the vampires had wanted. Erik was more worried about the questions of would they be back?
He could hear something, like a sort of slow, rasping breathing. It was coming from one of the large mausoleums, and it gave him a cold, unhappy feeling. It wasn't the same as fear, but there was definitely a good helping of fear in the mix. He was certain that the sound was something big breathing, and that it was very dangerous.
There was a scrabbling sound, and the soil piled over one grave started to rattle, a sign of something inside rising from the grave. Probably another vampire. He gripped the sword, hoping that this one would last long enough tonight for two vampires. There was a sound like a snarl, and the grave almost exploded outwards. The vampire was there, his face distorted by a heavier brow, sharp, uneven teeth, and yellow eyes. His claws looked vicious, and he was looking right at Nikki.
Erik lunged forward, his sharpened wooden sword drawing blood across one arm, making the vampire hiss. This one seemed stronger and faster than the other new-risen that they'd fought. The two of them were managing to hold it steady, but both picking up a number of bruises and scrapes. The scent of blood wafted through the air. Erik was just glad that the vampire was growling enough to disguise his stomach's reaction to smelling the blood.
Behind them, he could hear the dirt rattling as the second grave's occupant dug himself out, fighting to emerge. And he would be hungry. How could he pass up the opportunity to make a grab for the tasty treat that Nikki smelled like? They wouldn't be able to hold both of them off, and he didn't know if they'd get any lucky breaks tonight.
He'd have to try something desperate to change things before the second vampire could join in the fight. Hoping that Nikki could keep the vampire from ripping his spine out, or something equally devastating, he dropped to one knee as he lunged forward, hacking his sword towards the vampire's knee. The bone shattered with a series of popping sounds, and he could hear the cartilage tear in a spray of blood.
The air filled with blood and screams. For a moment, Erik couldn't quite sort it out. But the vampire in front of him was screaming over his knee, collapsing towards the ground in what felt like slow motion. Nikki was staring at something behind him, her eyes wide as she screamed. And there was another, higher pitched scream that he thought might be from the other vampire.
Erik spun around, catching sight of the just risen vampire being lifted up by a thing. It was as tall as an elephant, and covered with loose, wrinkly skin the exact shade of a rotten banana peel. Two broad legs ended in clawed toes that reminded him of an ostrich. Similar looking arms were lifting the vampire, the talons having sunk into the vampire's body. The whole shoulder mass seemed to just spill upwards, ending in a ragged opening lined with teeth, almost like a lamprey.
The thing devoured the vampire in three messy bites.
Erik and Nikki darted away from the thing, neither one knowing what it was, and neither wanting to be any closer. Just because the first person that the giant monster had eaten was a vampire didn't mean that it was on a vampires-only diet, after all. They watched n horror as it reached out, claws sinking into the vampire who's ruined knee wouldn't allow him to run, and soon, he was also devoured.
The lumbering thing turned, and it's eyeless face pointed towards Erik. It made a few snuffling noises, and the blood-smeared claws flexed, opening and closing over nothing. It made the same slow, harsh breathing that he'd heard earlier. After a few very long minutes, it turned away, lumbering back towards the mausoleum.
"Time to go. Right now." Nikki's voice was shaking, and the scent of her fear carried over to Erik.
He stood up, his whole body trembling. The only possible good thing that he could see about the monster was that it had left them be, apparently only interested in eating vampires. "Yeah, let's get out of here."
Her hand slid into his, and she clung to him as they moved as fast as they could walk back towards Henner's place. They didn't want the attention that running would bring, but didn't want to linger. Erik didn't speak, knowing that his teeth had become fangs again, wanting to hide that from Nikki.
Reaching the apartment building where Henner lived, Erik turned to look at Nikki. He didn't want to let go, didn't want to let her walk away. And a part of him wanted to pull her close, to lick the blood from her cheek, to nip at her throat. To drink her.
"Erik…" Her voice was soft, trembling with too many emotions.
Then, she reached over, pulling him close as her lips met his. They kissed, and he could taste blood in her mouth, knew that she'd bitten her lip or the inside of her cheek during the fight. And it tasted so good, so tempting…
"Nikki! You're back?" Henner's voice called out, making Nikki jump back, startled.
"You'd best go talk to him. Maybe he can find the devouring giant in one of those books?" Erik fought to control the hunger, fought not to grab her back and kiss her, to bite into her throat.
"Good idea, I guess." She glanced down, and her fingers played over his chest. "Erik, I… I'll see you later tonight, alright?"
Erik stood there, watching as she entered the building, listening for her footsteps as she made her way to Henner's place. He could even hear the man's words.
"Nikki… You're injured. So much for your faith that Erik would keep you safe." The dismissive tone set Erik's teeth on edge.
"This vampire was different, stronger somehow." Nikki's objection was swift. "Besides, there was… there was something else."
"Other than the vampire that you fought?" Henner sounded almost dismissive.
"Yeah, other than the two vampires that rose." Nikki was angry, and probably glaring. "There was this thing, like it had a giant mass of rotten banana over the world's largest and scariest ostrich. It ate the vampires. Just three bites, and they were gone."
"Oh." Henner sounded taken aback, as if he'd never expected something like his. "I still think the boy's a liability."
"How could Erik be a liability?" Nikki's confusion was easy to pick out. Below, Erik wondered the same thing.
"It's obvious that you care about him. This makes him a potential weakness, a hostage that could be used to attack you." Henner's voice was calm, impersonal. "And he's a young man, all of this probably seems like a great adventure to him, some excitement for a while, and then he'll be tired of it."
"Erik wouldn't quit." Nikki's voice allowed for no argument.
"Then something will kill him to get to you." Henner's tone hinted that he thought this would be a good thing.
Erik realized that he was growling, and that he'd just punched through the wall in front of him. Worried, he carefully released his fist, and pulled his hand out, shaking away the broken brick and the bits of insulation. How had he managed to do that? But more disturbingly, the anger was intensifying the hunger.
"Erik wouldn't do that! He's not like that." The anger in her voice was alarming.
Frowning, Erik realized that he must have missed something. How had they gone from Henner suggesting that he'd abandon Nikki to her insisting he wouldn't so… something? Was the question still him abandoning her? How dare Henner keep badgering her like this? Just because she didn't blindly follow him, didn't let him dictate every aspect of her life…
He was still growling, and he could feel his teeth, sharp against the insides of his lips. The idea of going up there and ripping Henner apart, of drinking him down into silence was so strong, so appealing. But he didn't want to become a monster, didn't want Nikki to hate him.
He ran from the apartment building, terrified of what he might do if he stayed. There had to be a way to keep this inner monster, this hunger quiet. Something… the image of blood came into his mind again, flowing from cuts, pooling beneath a cut of meat. Maybe that would work? If he managed to get a cut of meat, would the blood in that help? Surely that would be safer than ripping Henner apart, even if it was less satisfying?
Erik wasn't certain if he'd actually managed to make the fangs go away or if the bored looking man at the late night deli just didn't care. He had come up with enough to get a small cut of meat, probably a bit tough, but it looked very bloody. The plan still sounded crazy, even in his own mind, but he paid for the meat, and made his way out of the deli, heading back towards the gym where he stayed.
The smell of the meat and the blood tempted him the whole trip back. It slid through the layers of plastic wrap, teasing at his nostrils, taunting his stomach. He'd barely made it to the place before he ripped the plastic open, tilting it up to swallow down the blood that had oozed out of the cut, licking the last dangling droplet from the styrofoam tray before devouring the meat.
Afterwards, he felt better, the coppery taste still thick in his mouth, and the meat feeling heavy in his stomach. Part of him wanted to be revolted, and another part was just glad that he hadn't attacked something, or someone.
The hunger was so strong now that he couldn't just ignore it away, and he didn't know if it would grow any stronger. For now, a cut of raw meat had made it subside. But what if it grew stronger? What if it grew to the point where he would consider attacking someone, consider taking their blood by force just to make the clawing burning hunger go away?
He couldn't let himself become a danger here. Not where Nikki would be the one forced to deal with him. And since he didn't know if he'd become a danger or not, and he had nobody that he'd trust to be able to help… He would have to leave.
But not without saying goodbye to Nikki. They were to much to each other for too long not to say goodbye, not to let her know how much this hurt. He felt miserable as he shuffled his way to the Wood house. It didn't even occur to him that he shouldn't have been able to leap up, landing in a crouch on the top of the back porch. Lightly, he made his way to her window, tapping on the glass.
"Erik!" Nikki smiled at him, her vice soft. "You'll have to be quiet, Dad's in one of those moods again."
He slid in through the window, and tried to smile. "Nikki…"
"What's wrong? How did you scrape up your hand?" She caught his fingers, staring at the hand that he'd put through the wall of Henner's apartment building. There were a multitude of tiny scrapes, nothing even serious enough to demand a band-aid.
"My hand will be okay. That's not really why I'm here." He wished that he could find the right words, and hoped that she wouldn't hate him.
"Something's wrong, isn't it? If Henner said anything to you… He's wrong. I know he is." Nikki's voice was a fierce whisper.
"Something's wrong, but it's not exactly Henner." Erik sat on the edge of her bed, his shoulders and head slumping forwards. "Something's wrong with me, and it's getting worse."
"What sort of something? Have you… have you even considered seeing a doctor?" Nikki settled beside him, her arm sliding around him.
"A doctor wouldn't be able to help with this. It's not…. It's something weird, and scary. The only person that I know of who might even be able to find out anything is Henner, and…" Erik tried to consider how to put this so that he wouldn't sound as deranged as Henner had. "He'd probably try to find answers if you had something wrong. But I don't think he'd be very helpful for me."
"How weird is weird?" She cupped her hand over his cheek, and looked into his eyes. "Talk to me, please."
"I can see out there, in the dark. I can hear things… That's how I know when the vampires are coming out of the graves, I can hear them clawing their way up. I'm stronger, strong enough to fight a vampire." Erik paused, licking his lips in uncertainty, tasting the lingering flavor of blood. "And there's been… I had fangs earlier. Fangs and some cravings. I ended up picking up a cut of meat at the deli… I barely even unwrapped the thing before I ate it.""
"But what's…" Her heartbeat had picked up, and she was looking at him, her lovely eyes wide and confused. "Why is this happening to you?"
"I don't know. I don't even know what this is, or if I'm done changing." Erik reached out, resting his scraped hand on her knee, his thumb rubbing over her smooth skin. "I don't have any answers."
"It almost sounds like the sort of things to look for with a vampire." She looked at him, and then glanced at the small mirror on her dresser, laying at an angle on a pile of clean shirts.
"I still reflect. I can go out into the sunlight. I've still got a heartbeat." He looked back at his hand, willing himself not to cry, not to fall apart and weep into her shoulder. Especially not if there was a chance that he might bite.
"No wonder you're confused." Nikki leaned closer, her head resting on his shoulder. "What are you planning?"
"I can't stay. The cravings… they're getting stronger. You've got no idea how much I wanted to rip Henner apart tonight, and the scary part is that I think I could do it. Part of me might even enjoy it." He hated letting her see this strange new part of himself, even if only a little. "That scares me, Nikki. I don't want to turn into a monster."
Nikki made a small noise, as if she'd started to say something and stopped herself. There was the faint scent of salt.
"If I stay, if this changing isn't finished, Henner will try to make you kill me. Even if there's no me left inside… And I can't do that to you, I don't want there to be a chance that you and I would have to fight like that." He looked up, hoping that she would understand. "I don't want to hurt you, don't want there to be any chance of that. But this thing that's happening…"
Her lips caught his, gently cutting off his words. "If this is goodbye, then let's make certain there's a little bit of sweet to go with the sorrow."
Erik nodded, his hands sliding over her smooth skin, feeling the lean muscles. He carefully undid the buttons of her nightgown, letting it fall to the floor as he kissed over her skin. Along her collar bone, her shoulder, her breasts… He wanted to memorize every inch of her. This was goodbye.
The fangs came back as they were moving together, their skin tingling with passion and pleasure, their blood rushing through them. That dangerous part of him wanted to bite, wanted to taste her, drink of her blood. He even nipped at her throat, drawing the faintest lines of blood with the sharp teeth before he could pull away with a groan. Nikki tasted wonderful.
Laying there, their bodies slick with sweat, she looked at him. One hand raised up, touching the thin lines on her neck, over her pulse. "You… let me see."
Erik looked at her, seeing the raised lines on her neck, the droplets of blood that had welled up, and slowly licked his lips. "Nikki… I'm sorry. God, I'm sorry."
"You didn't hurt me, Erik." Her arms slid around him, and she hugged him, her head resting on his chest. "You didn't hurt me. But I understand why you're afraid now."
"I wish that I could stay. You need someone better than Henner to watch your back. But if I did stay… The risk is so damn high." He kissed the top of her head.
"Promise me… Promise that you'll try to be careful. That you'll try to find help, instead of just going off somewhere to die." Her whisper was soft, full of a tangle of emotions.
Holding her close, Erik wondered if there was someone out there who could help him. If there was a solution. "I'll be careful. And I'll never forget you, you're too big a part of me to ever be forgotten."
End part 6.