"Hey, Gavin, can you put this sunscreen on me," she asked.
He moved over behind her in the lounge chair and applied the opaque liquid on her back.
"Thanks," she said with a smile.
"You know, I should have thought about you being a vampire and bringing you to a beach."
"It's ok. I've got my sunglasses, my hat, SPF 100 lotion, a cover up for my suit, a beach umbrella…I'll be fine. On the other hand, you need to reapply some lotion on your face; I'm not going to let you get skin cancer and leave me," she said as she hugged him.
They sat in their lounge chairs by the resort pool. The sounds of laughing and splashing filled the air. She was enjoying her time in her old neighborhood and she had given Gavin the grand tour of the town. One thing she could believe was the fort still stood where it had 300 years before. It was an incredible structure.
"Well, look who we have here," a voice said.
With her daydreaming interrupted, she opened her eyes and looked towards the voice.
"Philip, what the hell are you doing here," she asked, startled by his appearance in town.
"I'm here on vacation. My girlfriend and I just came from Daytona and then drove up here to St. Augustine for a few days; she said she wanted to visit."
"Oh, your new girlfriend."
"So you've talked to Em? I figured she'd call you. It just wasn't working out with her; she wasn't the one for me. My new girl friend is definitely more my type."
'Well, then she likes being pushed around by an egotistical jack-ass. Smart girl.'
"Oh, that's great, Philip. Gavin, we should get going anyway."
Philip eyed Gavin.
"Hey, I remember you. So, you guys are going out now?"
Gavin stood in front of Gena protectively.
"Yeah, we are," he said.
"That's…nice. Before you go, Gena, I want you to meet her. Hey Ginny, could you come here?"
Gena watched as a fit girl went for the ladder in the pool and walked over to Philip. She was short in height and then, but she was athletic looking. Her hair was brown, wavy, and shoulder length. Her eyes were a bright violet; she was really stunning. If it wasn't for her height, she could have been a model.
"Yeah, hi, I'm Gena," she said to the girl.
"I'm Virginia," she replied. "It's nice to finally meet you."
A little taken aback by the happy greeting to an ex-girlfriend, Gena just nodded in return and turned to Gav.
"Well, we really have to get going. Bye guys."
The couple walked up to their room at the resort. Gena immediately went to shower off all the sunscreen, while Gavin sat on the bed in the room. He opened the door so they could talk while she scrubbed.
"Don't you find this weird," Gavin asked. "What are the odds that your ex-boyfriend would be in the same city at the same time as you?"
"I don't know; maybe it's just a coincidence? It was weird though. And he was acting so…so nice. I haven't seen him like that since WE were going out. Plus, given the last time we really saw each other, I thought he hated me."
"Did you have a look at her?"
"Yeah; she's really pretty…"
"No, I mean a real look at her. Your senses must be off because there's something wrong with her. That girl had no life in her eyes. It was like no one was at home, if you know what I mean."
"Funny, but I didn't catch that kind of vibe. I think you need to chill out, bud. It was just a weird coincidence; I mean it's summer and people do tend to travel. Listen, I need to go feed after I shower, I'll just meet you here afterwards ok."
"Ok, but be careful."
Now she was full. There was a plethora of stupid college boys in the area drinking them selves into a stupor. She probably didn't need to wipe their minds afterward; the alcohol had already accomplished that.
'Why do these people waste their money on college?'
She arrived back at the resort at midnight. The moon was full and glittered on the surface of the water. The waves crashed against the shore and the sand fizzled as it retreated. It was a beautiful site that she hadn't seen in years, and frankly, she didn't want to leave it just yet.
With little effort, she was able to hop the fence surrounding the closed pool. She threw off her clothes and jumped in the hotel pool in her bra and panties. Floating on her back in the pool, she looked up at the stars and the huge moon that lit up the whole resort. Her body relaxed as the palm trees swayed in the breeze. It made her sigh.
Then she felt something grab her leg. Her body and head were submerged underwater. She flailed her arms in an attempt to surface, but something very strong was holding her. Gena opened her eyes in the highly chlorinated pool to finger her attacker, and she got a shock; there was no one in the pool. She thought that maybe she was fooling herself. Maybe her senses were thrown off balance like Gavin had said. With all of her available strength, she forced herself up of the water, but she could still feel the phantom attacker gripping her ankle. And it wasn't going to let go until it was finished.
"Help," Gena cried. "Someone help me!"
Arms waving frantically in hopes someone would hear or see her, she tried to grab the edge of the pool. She missed it by a few inches. Then her foe pulled her under again for the final time and he wasn't going to let her go. She was getting dragged to the bottom of the deep end. Even against her vampire strength, if held her down easily.
Then she felt a sharp, intense electrical pain run through her body. It almost felt like she was...being bit by a vampire. It was the piercing pain of teeth but was more like the excrutiating pain from her transformation.
That's when she saw the blood swirling in the water.
'I need air,' she thought illogically. 'No, I need blood.'
But that wasn't going to happen. She lay in the pool, feeling the smoothed concrete on her back. The stars and moon still shone brightly up ahead, but they were now distorted under the water. Unfortunately now, she couldn't hear the beautiful sounds of the ocean and the trees. The last thing she heard was the sound of something coming for her in the dark depths of the pool.
"Breathe! Damn it, Gena!"
Gena opened her eyes and spewed some water and was pushed on her side by someone.
'I'm alive,' she thought. 'I can breathe.'
She looked to her rescuer; Gavin. He was dripping wet in his clothes and his face was stained by tears. He looked at her and held her close in his arms.
"Oh thank god," he said. "I told you to be careful. What the hell happened out here?"
Gena focused her eyes on the scene and saw that there were a lot of people around.
"I…fell in. It was an accident. I fell in and hit my head," she said to the masses.
"Call the hospital," a man yelled.
"That's not necessary; I'm fine," Gena said. "Thank you all for your concern, but I think I just need to lie down and rest."
Gavin lifted her into his arms and carried her to their room. He laid her on the bed and continued to hang on to her. He kissed her lightly on the forehead.
"I thought you were dead," he said softly.
"I thought I was too. Gavin, we need to go home."
"Right now? But, you're in no condition to travel right now…"
"Don't argue; we need to leave right now."
"What's wrong?"
"I didn't fall in. I went for a moonlit swim. Gavin, something was pulling me under; it was holding me down and I couldn't get up. I looked and there was no one there."
"Just like Meredith's attacker."
"Exactly; we have to get back home immediately; it's happen before and it will happen again."
She hissed in pain as felt the same intense pain.
"What's wrong," Gavin asked in concern.
Gena pulled back her oil-slick hair and she showed him her neck. He gasped as he saw what appeared to be an old bite mark but it was more of a swollen, purple bruise. It appeared to have already started to heal, although some part were still oozing blood. He immediately ran to get a towel to wipe away an remaining blood.
"Gena, did you lose a lot?"
"I don't know," she responded weakly.
He leaned over her and stroked her face. With gentle care, he lifted her head towards his neck.
"Drink," he ordered. She happily obliged, feeling her strength come back with every trickle down her throat.