Chapter 6
Edward led me to Carlisle's office. There was an operating table. "You'll be lying down on this table for the conversion," Edward said calmly. He shuddered thinking of the transformation.
Carlisle came into the room. "Just lay down on the operating table Austin," he said in a calm tone. "Most doctors prior to an operation would say that it will be virtually painless." He paused a minute before he continued. "But since you know otherwise, I won't tell you that."
I gulped and climbed onto the table. "I'm sorry that I have to hurt someone like this," Carlisle said repentantly.
He put his mouth near my neck and bit down in one swift motion. The burning started almost immediately. I instantly clenched my teeth in a vain attempt to stop the pain. "STOP THE BURNING," I screamed through clenched teeth. "MAKE THE FIRE GO AWAY!"
I hated the feeling of the venom burning through my veins. It hurt so badly. I wished it would just end. I wanted to be free of the malevolent fire burning through my circulatory system.
***
It had been two days since Carlisle had bitten me. The feeling of the venom had not gotten any better. However, I was also happy. The permanent change from dull mortal to glorious immortal was so close that I could taste it! I thought I could feel my eyes go from their smoky blue to the ruby red of a newborn vampire; I swore I could watch my skin getting paler by the second.
According to Carlisle, there was about a half hour before the conversion was complete. I wish that time would go faster. The venom was worse than being barbecued alive; worse than being burned at the stake! AD came in and watched me burning where I laid.
There were only five minutes left before the transformation was finished. Everyone had gathered. For some of them it was probably more curiosity than sincere concern.
There were two minutes before my heart stopped. It began to flutter intently as the last seconds of mortality ticked away. I closed my eyes as the venom's pain dulled. I could hear Carlisle shuffling my friends—and enemies—out of his office. He didn't want anyone to get hurt.
I could feel my heart stop. A minute passed and I still didn't open my eyes. Partly out of fear that the drastic change in vision clarity would startle me too much. "I'll poke him to see if he's still alive," Emmett said pseudo-excitedly.
I felt something tap my shoulder. My eyes snapped open immediately. I did an acrobatic flip off of the operating table. I landed in a feral position; poised to pounce on whatever moved. The slit pupils of my ruby-red eyes looked at everything within my line of sight. Everything was so much clearer with perfect eyesight. I tore my glasses off my face and crushed them into dust with my powerful immortal hands.
The Cullens held perfectly still. I was still in my feral position. I immediately smelled the blood of my classmates downstairs. Emmett tackled me and I crashed through the large window. I saw Emmett and Jasper follow me. "Tsk, tsk," Esme said wearily. "I just had those furnished."
Em and Jazz were probably following me to lead me to a herd of deer. I was slightly horrified at myself. I wanted the blood of my classmates. I felt my body crash against the ground. It felt like soft velvet under my hard skin. Emmett and Jasper ran at me like a couple of charging rhinos. I retook my feral position. I ran at Emmett and leapt for his throat. If I were human, this would be foolhardy. However, now I was immortal too; and I… was stronger than he was.
I slammed my shoulder into Emmett's chest and sent him flying into a tree. I smelled my classmates in one direction and a herd of deer in the other. I decided to go for the closest prey, the herd of deer. I sucked all of them dry. That quenched the burning thirst for now.
"C-can I," I began; saying this to Jasper. "Go see my classmates?"
"Since you've had blood," he began fearfully. "I guess so. But you have to have supervision from Emmett and me to make sure you don't strike." He looked me up and down for a minute. "You might also want to change into clothes without blood on them."
I nodded at his presumption. I ran as fast as I could back to the small house. I showered and changed into fresh clothes. I walked nervously into the room where my classmates were. I couldn't believe that even as an immortal, I was still so self-conscious. I sat down in a singular chair and saw that all my classmates' eyes were on me. I waited nervously for their commentary.
To be continued…