Chapter 5: Destree
After they're gone, I hurry to Dakota and kneel down beside her. My shirt and my hoodie were soaked through with blood and there was a small pool of blood starting to form... would it be fair game to eat my hoodie? Wait, what the hell am I saying?! This is Dakota for God's sake. She was losing a lot of blood and fast, and I was freaking out. Usually I'm calm in desperate situations, but I couldn't let Dakota die, I don't know what I'd do. As far as I see it I have two choices; one, to let Dakota die, or to change her.
Yes, I have to change her, I must consider pros and cons... Pros: One, Dakota will live, two I will be able to stay in Seattle, three I won't feel like a miserable waste of life knowing I let my best friend, my only one, my other half, die, four, Dakota will live. The cons? Well, changing someone is forbidden, but I think I can manage. The elders will come after me possibly to put me on trial... and, wait- no they wouldn't do that. Sometimes I forget who I am, that I know people. I could be killed by risking my life like this, but Dakota is worth it.
"Dakota can you hear me?" I put my hand on her arm.
"Destree, it hurts," she whines softly, she doesn't open her eyes.
"I know it does, I'm gonna make it stop, okay?" I single tear slid down my face, I never wanted to see Dakota like this, all because of who I am, my best friend is hurt. Can I really change Dakota? I have no choice, I have to, but I have to have permission to bite her, or they'll remove my fangs because Dakota would then be considered an unwilling child.
"Okay," she nodded.
"Dakota, I have to tell you something,"
"Destree, what could be so important,"
"Dakota, well, it's pretty important. It's about me, well- um, I kinda kept this from you your entire life, and it's a pretty big deal, and I have to tell you," I take a deep breath, I know Dakota is a logic person, she's all about proof, proof, proof. "Dakota, I'm a vampire, and right now, I have only one choice, and that- and that's to- to change you, so you'll live," I was really crying now. I've never cried like this before, and now I'm crying, actually crying in front of Dakota, when I'm supposed to be the strong one.
"Destree, that... that's ridiculous," she shook her head,
"Dakota, what the hell," I laughed, this is not a laughing matter, but she just gets to me, "Why would I be making shit up at a time like this?"
"That's true," she opened her eyes, and saw I was crying. "Destree, why are you crying?" she put a hand on the side of my face slowly.
"Because, Dakota, I'm scared, I don't wanna lose you," I closed my eyes. I felt her wipe under my eyes with her thumb, like I've done many times to her.
"Hey, hey, look at me," she said softly, "We can get through it, okay?" I looked at her, I realize I've said these words, these exact words to Dakota before.
"And sitting here crying never got us anywhere, huh?" I finished her speech with a laugh.
"I thought you might say something like that," She laughed.
The world was silent for a moment.
"Do it, Destree,"
"Wha- what did you just say?" I looked at her with wide eyes.
"Do it, change me, you don't wanna lose me, and I'm not gonna let it happen, so go ahead, I'm ready," she said, and she wasn't shaking, she was dead serious.
"Da- Dakota, it's going to hurt like hell,"
"I know, and I've already made my choice, I've also realized that I don't wanna lose you either,"
"Dakota I-" I threw myself on top of her, hugging her, embracing her. "Dakota I love you," I sniffled.
"I love you too Des," she hugged me back. "Now let's do this," and I swear to God I heard a smile in her voice.
And with that I removed myself from Dakota, and went to her ankle, I untied my hoodie and shirt from around her ankle, and I saw she had lost a lot more blood than I thought, and I shuddered at the blood, I put my soaked clothing to side and here's the difficult part, I had to put Dakota's ankle back like it's supposed to go so it would heal right when I changed her. And don't worry, I know what I'm doing, I'm way, way older than the 18 year old I appear to be.
"Dakota, this is going to-" I swallowed, "Really hurt,"
"Okay," she nodded.
I did it quickly and Dakota let a scream out. Dakota, I'm sorry, I thought to myself.
"Okay, now Dakota, here we go... now do you agree to let me bi- change you?"
"Yes, I do,"
"Okay, do you know where those needles and syringes went that I had you bring to the cemetery tonight?"
"I think they're in my pocket,"
I checked her pocket to find only one out of three syringes, perfect. All I need is one. I took the syringe and needle out of the packet, adn attatched the needle to the top of the syringe, I took a minute to think where to take the venom out of my body. My arm, I'll take it out of my arm. I pull the needle in the crook of my arm and pulled the trigger on the syringe back slowly. When it was full I pulled the needle out slowly.
"You ready?" I asked her.
"Yeah," she closed her eyes and took her last deep breath as someone who was completely human, as sweet, warm, smiling happy Dakota. Yes, change is inedible in life, but I would have never wanted this for Dakota. But, I have to.
As Adam Gontier once said (or rather sang); "The world we knew won't come back. The time we've lost, can't get it back. The life we had won't be ours again." and did I just compare my life to a Three Days Grace song? I love human music, but that's just a symbol of change, do you see what I'm saying? Change is everywhere. And this is a big change that's going to happen, for me, for my life, and for my world, and for Dakota, her life and her world.
And with her approval I put the syringe in the artery in her neck, making all these changes come to life. Changing not only her, but changing everything that was planned for her life, her ability to one day meet a guy and start a family, but a different future for her is better than no future at all.
Now I had to run I had to get her to my house before it started, before the pain and the screaming started, before the change started. But, oh my friends, the change has already begun.
Dakota, please forgive me.