Chapter 5. Pain.
I could not stray from this man's side, but I could not bear to watch him in all of his pain. I kept thinking of how close I came to killing him, how his blood had tasted so good. The man screamed for the entirety of his transformation. Sometimes his voice would get hoarse, barely audible, and other times his voice rang out through the forest, loud and clear and powerful. Whenever I would glance over at him, his face twisted, I would reconsider my decision and question if I should just end his misery.
On the night when he stopped screaming, I was far away from my post. I could not stand it anymore, just watching him scream, so I ran. On that night, though I was miles away, I sensed a change in the night's air. Immediately, I turned and sprinted back to where the man was.
The first thing I saw was Victoria, her face in shock. Then I saw Laurent, on the ground, not dead but also not aware. Then I saw the man. He was beautiful, pale with deep black hair. His eyes were bright red. He was perched in a tree high above us, glaring down at me. When he jumped, I just watched him fall, marveling at his exquisiteness. The man landed with such grace, and he advanced upon me, stopping directly before my face, his wonderful scent filling my nostrils.
"You did this?" He whispered, his voice rough. I just stared at him, I could not find words to say, something that would be worthy of his ears to gather. "Did you?!"
I stumbled, actually stumbled. Vampires do not stumble. We are stable, controlled creatures. But I still stumbled at this man's intensity, his anger, his resentment. I could not understand how he could be so angry, I had saved him. He should have been grateful.
"I am a monster," he breathed, his head turned away from me. "I am what destroys the lives of innocent people, what killed my family." He turned his eyes back to mine, clear hatred ringing in them. "Don't you understand? You've created something that is the devil's! This is a sin. I will burn in hell. I will burn now, and you will burn. You are Satan's apprentice."
The man, turned, and I reached for him. This was the wrong choice. He turned on me and snapped in my face, not hurting me physically, but I felt weak, so helpless. The man walked away, gathering sticks and firewood as he walked. He was going to burn himself, and I was going to let him.
I had forgotten entirely about Victoria and Laurent, until Victoria placed her soft hand on my shoulder, and I felt the weight of the world press down on me.