D'Ablo was alive.

How was I supposed to cope with this information? My worst enemy was hungry for revenge, and worst of all, I wouldn't know when it was coming. I needed to keep my eyes open. Sleep was no longer an option. I was vulnerable in my sleep. Staying alert at all times was crucial.

"That's enough!" Cassie was in my face, screaming. "You need to stop staring off like this. I want to know what's going on right now!"

She must have been trying to talk to me once again. With everything that was going on, I couldn't keep a hold on our conversations. My mind always drifted off somewhere else. I felt bad for this; Cassie deserved someone who was mentally stable.

I pulled her arm so she would sit on the bed. Maybe it was time to tell her about D'Ablo. She had a right to know.

Brushing her hair from her perfect face, I started explaining everything that was happening. I even threw in the information about my blood thirst and Otis being unhelpful. To my surprise, Cassie sat quiet and listened contently to my rant. She had grabbed my hands, never allowing our eyes to leave one another.

"I just don't know what to do anymore!" I hadn't realized it, but I was crying. Cassie pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back soothingly.

"You know, Vlad," she whispered, "it may seem hard, but you'll always have me."

Breathing was difficult. It felt as if I were suffocating. Everything around me was dimming, becoming nothing more than blackness. The feeling was too familiar. I was reminded of the time a slayer staked me in the heart.

I mistakenly thought that Joss could change, that we could truly be friends. However, I was wrong.

Trying to scream proved to be impossible. No matter how hard I tried, no sound escaped my lips. The darkness began to creep its way into my mind. There was no way of seeing what was suffocating me. I tried moving, but I was paralyzed.

Then the scene changed almost immediately. I was now standing outside of a church. The sun was beating down, and people dressed in fancy clothes made their way into the building. Instinctively, I followed. No one noticed me as I walked up the stairs.

Once inside, I realized that I had walked into someone's wedding ceremony. Something was off, though. There were skulls strewn about the church. Everyone was dressed in black, and the bride looked frightened.

That's when I saw her face.

My mother.

She was the bride. Her eyes were searching around, panicking. My mother cried out, begging for help. Everyone in the audience ignored her. It seemed as if I were the only one who could hear her. She looked at me, reaching her hand out towards me.

I ran down the aisle, wanting to help my mother. Inches from my grasp, she was pulled away. My father growled at me.

"Dad?"

He pushed her protectively behind him, "Stay away from her you monster!"

Confusion took over my entire being. Hurt my own mother? I'd never do such a thing!

"She's mine," my father's face twisted into an evil smile. He proceeded to pull her closer and clamp his teeth onto her neck.

I tried to move, but my feet refused to respond. All I could do was stand there in horror as my father devoured every drop of my mother's blood. I couldn't see either of their faces, and I was slightly grateful for this.

My father looked up, but he no longer was my father. I was now staring at myself. The bride who crumpled to the floor took the form of Cassie.

A scream finally found its way up my throat. I had killed the girl I loved.

"It's your entire fault," the figure that resembled me moved closer. "You're a killer, a monster. Why are you trying to be normal? You're a freak Vladimir! That's all you'll ever be!"

The figure flew into the air. Everyone in the church shifted, now falling, as skeletons, to the floor.

"Embrace your power!" The man, I, screamed.

I woke up in a cold sweat, the wind blowing in from outside not keeping me cool. The room was quiet, something was off. Slowly stepping out of bed, I reached out with my blood, attempting to sense if anyone was in the room, specifically vampires. Thankfully, I found the room to be empty.

Making my way downstairs, I noticed the kitchen light was turned on. Otis was sitting at the table, reading through some old book. The cover was ripped, showing that this wasn't the first time he had read the story.

"Hello, Vladimir," he said. Otis didn't look up, but gestured for me to sit down across from him. He held up a finger, signaling me to wait a moment. Once he finished what he was reading, Otis closed the book and offered a kind smile.

"You're up late," I said, picking at the chipping wood on the table.

Otis stared at me, seeming to analyze me. "Well, my dear nephew, why are you up at this time of night?" I contemplated on whether or not to tell him the truth. Lately, Otis hadn't been all too helpful in giving information.

Maybe this time will be different. I thought.

"Different?"

I glared towards my uncle, "What did I tell you about being in my head?" Someone snarled, and I was shocked to know that it was me.

Otis sat back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head. "I'm sorry, Vlad. You've been worrying me lately. Why don't we talk about? What happened?"

I kept my eyes on the table, embarrassed to tell him about my dream. Hoping that Otis may have still been lurking within my thoughts, I played back the dream. The ending made me shiver; it was just as gruesome as the first time.

My uncle stared at me in shock, trying to process what he had just witnessed in my brain. He shook his head slightly, mumbling to himself.

"What is it, Uncle Otis?" his inability to speak to me was frightening.

Uncle Otis stood up and made his way out of the kitchen. Stopping at the door frame, he turned back to me, his words cutting through the air.

"Your mental health is concerning me. You will be seeing a therapist soon."

I was left alone to think about what had happened. Leave it to Otis to make me feel worse for what my subconscious was conjuring up.