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Chapter 8: To be reborn, first you have to die
Dib woke again. He opened his eyes and looked around.
He was on the ground, in the dirt and grass. His glasses were lying in front of him. He thought to pick them up, but noticed he didn't need to; his vision was perfect.
The fourteen-year-old had such a head-splitting headache he could barely think. He didn't even remember who he was. Yes, his name was Dib. That much came back to him. He also knew the glasses were his, even though he did not even need them.
Another memory tried to surface. It was full of pain and confusion. Dib pushed it away, not wanting it.
He got up to a sitting position. It was night. The swings only a few feet away were swinging in the wind.
Wind…
Dib realized he had not taken a breath since he came to, and his body had not told him to. This thought was so startling that he took in a sharp breath. It hurt his lungs. He choked on the air, causing more but less painful pain. Finally gathering enough air, he deciding to see if anyone was within earshot.
"Hello?" He called.
"You're finally awake."
Though hoping for an answer, he still jumped. He got to his feet and spun toward the voice.
Auri. He thought at once, not sure why. He knew the girl's name who stood there, but not who she was or how he knew her.
"Wh-who are you?" As an after thought, he added, "Err, who am I?"
"Don't worry." She sighed, "Your memory will come back later. Right now you have to feed."
"Feed?" he asked slowly. Something clicked. "You're a vampire!"
"Come on, we already did this." She told him, bored.
"We did?"
"You need to feed."
"Me?…I'm a… you turned me into a vampire!"
"Yes, and if you don't feed soon, the blood I've given you will kill you."
"That means killing someone."
"Maybe."
"I'm not doing that."
Her hand closed over his wrist tightly "Yes. You. Are."
Dib felt her turn them both into energy, and then transport them to another area; a woods, and only a foot away was a tent. Inside two campers were sleeping.
"I'm not killing." Dib broke away. "I…I killed before. I think. It was horrible."
"Don't worry; it gets easy after a while."
He stared at her, not believing. He watched as she went over to the tent and went inside. He waited, too helpless to run away. Would he really die without feeding? She came out holding up two men in their thirties. She laid one down and began to feed off the other.
"Stop!" Dib growled.
She did, to his surprise. Then, in even more surprising move, she threw him to Dib.
His eyes fell to the man's bleeding neck. Without thinking, he drank. And drank. And drank.
And when the man's juices ran dry, he screamed.
He dropped the camper and backed away, his face full of horror. What had he done!
"You'll be okay for now. You memories will return soon. Go home," She paused. "You remember where your home is, yes?"
Dib nodded, barely listening. "Yes, but not from here. Can you take me back to my town?"
---
Dib walked into his room. No one said anything to him as he passed them. No "where were you last night" of any form. He didn't care.
He sat on his bed, reliving last night; his memory back 12fold. He absently glanced at the walls. His eyes were stuck on the black rose. He made up his mind.
There was no place for him here. Not with the humans.
He got up and stretched.
The vampire remembered that Auri had morphed wolf. Vampires were known for their ability to transform into bats; did this mean they could turn into any animal?
Dib stood on his bed and concentrated.
His hair became feathers, his arms became wings. His coat disappeared as he turned more and more into the creature. His legs and feet became like a chicken's. His coat tail turned into tail feathers.
On Dib's bed stood a raven.
Dib hopped from his bed and landed on his nightstand. Carefully, he lifted the black rose from its vase. He turned to the open window and flew out.
Following the scent of Auri's aura.
THE END
