My anger rose to new heights. It was bad enough that his friend murdered Brenda and that he was sitting here nonchalantly as if nothing had happened. But now he was lying to me, trying to make me look like a fool.

"A vampire? Do you think I'm an idiot?" I exclaimed.

David shook his head. "Dawn, just think about it for a moment. When you woke up today, did the sun hurt your eyes more than usual?"

"Yeah, probably because I had a hangover from whatever wine you gave me last night," I spat.

"That wasn't wine. Well, some of it was, but not all of it. I mixed my blood into it," David explained.

"You what?!" I exclaimed, gagging at the thought. "You really are psychotic."

"I bet your reflection wavered in the mirror too,"

I looked at David with surprise. "How did you…"

David appeared behind me, moving his mouth to one of my ears. His breath caressed my skin, sending a shiver up my spine. I could feel him smile against my flesh.

"I bet when you made your way to the boardwalk and people came around, you got hungry, so hungry you were almost starving," he whispered. "You looked at them as they walked past, your gaze lingering on their throats."

I quickly moved away from David and turned back to face him, crossing my arms. "You're wrong."

"I'm not, Dawn. Where do you think those marks came from on Brenda's neck? They looked like teeth marks, right? That's because they were. Our plan was to drain you both, but I decided to turn you instead. You're slowly becoming one of us and when you eventually drink human blood you will become whole," David explained.

"You're lying. You and your friends are just a group of killers who think they're vampires. They don't exist!" I yelled.

"Are you sure about that?"

David looked down at his feet and when he looked back up any color I had left was gone. His eyes glowed yellow beneath a transformed face. His cheek and brow bones jutted out from his skin. His canines sharpened to points with one tooth on either side just as sharp. I gazed down to find his nails formed into points as if they were claws. He was hideous and yet somehow appealing.

I stumbled back, holding my fingers up in the shape of a cross. When he saw the formation, he laughed in a deep, thunderous voice.

"Do you really think that would work against me or anyone for that matter?" he asked.

I stumbled back once more, noticing a tree branch beside me. I bent down and quickly picked it up, pointing it at David. "Stay away from me."

David took a step closer. "You shouldn't be afraid of me, Dawn. I am your maker after all."

"You're wrong. I'm not like you … I can't be."

"But you are," David said, his face transforming back into what it once was. "Denying your nature will only make things more difficult for you. Come back with me and my crew, we can teach you how to be what you are now."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. I'm calling the police and getting the hell out of here," I snapped.

David laughed aloud. "Calling the police will not do you any good. Your friend's body will be gone by the time they arrive, if they even leave the station after you call, especially if you mention she was killed by a vampire. No one will believe you, Dawn."

Suddenly, a strike of pain hit my gut as I bent over gasping. David stepped in front of me and grabbed me by the shoulders so we were face to face. His eyes met mine intensely. "You are becoming like us and the longer you deny that fact the more pain you will be in."

"I'm. Not. Like. You."

"Fine, be in denial. We'll be in our normal spot tomorrow night and the night after that and the night after that. Whenever you finally realize you need us, you know where we'll be. Goodbye Dawn," David said, turning to leave before peering back at me. "Oh and I'd steer clear from family gatherings. Don't want to accidentally eat grandma, now do we?"

David's laugh echoed across the empty beach as he vanished from sight. I swore under my breath and stomped my way back to the boardwalk, only to find the crew was already gone. With a sigh, I walked home, keeping my eyes to the ground as I did.

I returned home and went straight to bed as I wanted the day to end. I fell asleep and had a nightmare of finding Brenda and the vampiric features on David's face. I woke up soaked with sweat, looking over to find it was nearly 5 pm. I had slept for almost 15 hours without waking up once.

"What the hell is happening to me?" I asked myself, running a hand through my wet hair.

I got myself out of bed and took a much-needed shower. I changed into some new clothes, my gaze avoiding the sight of the mirror. I wasn't going to let my mind mess with me any more than it already did. Once dressed, I headed downstairs to hear sounds from the kitchen, finding my mother making dinner at the stove.

I could tell by the way she ran around frantically that she and my father had to head to work soon, so she was making dinner quickly so the two had something in their stomachs before they left. They both worked as doctors at the local hospital and due to the crazy hours, I rarely saw them.

My mother was just finishing up some mashed potatoes when she saw me come into the room, looking paler than usual. "Are you feeling alright, Sweetie?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired," I muttered.

"Would you like something to eat? I made a little extra in case you wanted some?"

I walked over to the stove to see she was making steak and potatoes. Normally, I would've jumped at the idea of eating steak, but right now that thought made me sick to my stomach.

I shook my head. "No, thanks. I'm not really hungry."

"Are you sure you're alright?" she asked, placing the back of her hand against my forehead. "You're freezing."

"I'm fine, Mom, just stressed is all," I said, removing her hand. "Brenda having gone missing is taking a toll on me."

"I'm so sorry about that. I heard this morning when her mother called. I wish I had been here when you found out, but due to the busy schedule at the hospital, I just haven't had the chance," she said.

"It's alright, Mom. I get it. You don't need to apologize," I reassured her with a nod.

She flipped the stove off and placed her used spoon on the counter. After wiping her hands clean, she pulled me into a hug, digging her face into my shoulder. "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

The closeness of her made the scent of her skin waft around me. She smelled of cinnamon and vanilla; inviting and warm. Along with the scent, I could feel her beating heart against my chest, the sound loud in my ears. I could almost feel the blood rushing through her veins.

I felt this release of pressure within my mouth as I leaned closer to her neck. My tongue went to lick her skin when it stopped short at my teeth, the feeling of sharp points under my tongue. That feeling was like a bath of ice-cold water as I quickly pulled back from my mom, placing a hand over my mouth.

I ran from the room as she yelled after me. I took two stairs at a time to make my way up to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I looked at myself in the mirror. It was fading in and out more than it had yesterday, but this time around, I didn't look like me.

I had fangs and my once blue eyes were now a shade of yellow, the bones in my face protruding in weird angles. I looked exactly like David, which meant only one thing. He wasn't lying. I was a vampire.

As this realization hit me, a knock sounded at the door with my worried mother's voice coming through the wood. "Honey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Just nauseous is all," I yelled back.

"Do you want one of us to stay home with you?" she asked.

"No, I'll be fine. There's some medicine in the cabinet. I'll take that in a bit once my stomach settles," I explained.

"Alright, well, if you need anything, don't be afraid to call, okay?" she said, turning away from the door before turning back. "I love you, Dawn."

"I love you too."

I listened as my mother headed back downstairs to eat. About twenty minutes later, I heard my father and her leave in the family car. When I knew they were gone, I left the bathroom and went straight to the boardwalk.

I found the group standing in their regular spot and when David saw me his smile widened. "Have you finally accepted what you are?"

"Yes."

"And you'll listen to what we have to say?"

"Yes."

"Good," David said, hitting Dwayne in the shoulder. "Let's go, Boys. It's time to show Dawn what being like one of us means."