Sierra PoV
The morning gleam assaults my eyes the very moment they unlock, my slender fingers immediately defending my vision as the sun's beams emit a smouldering sensation. Groaning unenthusiastically, I writhe to awaken my dormant and exhausted muscles, knowing what will have to be done today. My mind frantically hopes that I have enough energy to sprint and divert a supernatural dog who is engrossed with slaughtering me considering this escapade will be exerted in the time where I am most vulnerable to weakness. Somebody is shaking me with tenderness, and as the bleary ability to see clears up, I can see it is Sam whose face is the manifestation of worry. I can imagine why he is anxious over this, especially when the previous time he attempted in killing a Head Vampire, he was severely injured.
"Sierra? Sierra, wake up, we've gotta go" Sam whispers, his eyes constantly flickering downwards like he is scouring under the bed. I haul myself out of the bed, smiling warmly at Sam as I make this arduous movement. "I can make you some coffee if you want? Maybe it'll wake you up a little? Um, or some sugary cereal? We'll have to be quick though, my mom's leaving for work soon"
"Thank you, but I'll be okay. I haven't really got much of an appetite recently" I say, smiling compassionately at him again. Sam's view is deflected though as his field of vision manoeuvres onto the claw abrasions on the door, that worry accelerating by a vast amount. My arm outstretches itself so my fingers can gingerly touch his shoulder in reassurance. Despite the kindness in my touch, Sam flinches and stares at me with panic. It disheartens me to be thought of as a monster, but I can comprehend why he feels like this. "Sam, I'm not going to hurt you in any way. Not just because of the lack of enticement to feed in the day, but because I want to help you"
Sam quickly nods before exiting the room, flashing me a smile that still exhibits his fright of me. He hasn't had a week of simplicity much to my dismay what with transferring from Phoenix to another state where his older brother was hastily converted from a human to a vampire within days, and now this event of a girl turning up during the process of an outlandish ordeal with a purpose of aiding them in a plot to kill the Head Vampire inflicting everyone's lives. With haste, I follow him down the stairs where we rendezvous in the living room with the Frog brothers, who to my alarm are accompanying us on this voyage. Both Edgar and Alan peer over their shoulders to examine me, their surveillances consumed with wariness.
"Before we leave, I just want to point out that if you even think about vamping out on us or start doing some vampire mumbo-jumbo stuff, me and my brother will stake you without even thinking twice. Got it, Hot Vampiro?" Edgar growls in a caution, noting my incensed glare. "Damn, you vampires have rotten tempers" Admittedly, hearing two boys who have the identical appearance to my own brothers hurts me emotionally. I do miss my brothers with sincerity, and so, with this threat, it doesn't alleviate it in any method.
"You already told me that, Edgar" I mutter in a drone voice, my energy barely tolerating Edgar's abysmal attitude towards me in such early hours. "And it's half vampire. Get it right"
Suddenly, we all recoil at the sound of the Shoji doors opening that masquerade the dim burgundy light where all of Grandpa Emerson's secrets are concealed. Grandpa Emerson with the same rag encircling his forehead but with a dissimilar ensemble continuing to hint his own fashion statements,
walks casually out, across the living room and into the kitchen, griping to himself about the issues in Santa Carla. It never amazes me how he has knowledge of such events when all he possesses is a TV guide to inform him of the outer world. An ice-cold root beer griped in hand, Grandpa walks back into the living room, but ceases any movement halfway, his head gradually twisting to face me. Oh, great. Just my luck to be flirted with by a man about sixty years my senior.
"Looks like someone came back for more, huh?" he chuckles, and without another word, walks back into his hideout persisting to grumble in a one-sided conversation. Sam and The Frog's heads rotate around simultaneously to view me, accusing looks etching their face.
"Guess we have to call you fangbanger now, don't we?" Edgar grunts, my response being an infuriated look his way. "Enough games, let's go. I want to kill this damn Head – oh, s'up, Mrs Emerson?" he then titters nervously as a smiling Lucy meanders past, saying hello to each of us with an affectionate smile before hurrying out of the door for work at Max's video store. Though Lucy may be infatuated with Max, he has to be killed for her own good. There's no other way. Guilt swarms Sam's facial features, his eyes casting themselves onto me once it has flooded into concern. "Like I said, enough games. Come on, Hot-Vamp, let's go. Sammy, you got the things?" Sam nods a singular time, indicating he has got every weapon required. "Okay, then. Now that's all sorted: Let's move, move, move, men! Oh, and Princess of Darkness over there"
With that final command and ridicule, Edgar and Alan dash out of the doors chanting a famous military cadence song about 'bloodsuckers no longer gonna be old' which in all truthfulness, doesn't make sense at all. Sam, however, lingers for a moment as I stagger down the stairs, assisting me so I can stabilize my movement. With a contented smile, I express my gratitude to him whilst situating my half-moon sunglasses on the bridge of my noise to veil my eyesight only a little from the leering sun.
"Sure you don't need any of that coffee or cereal?" Sam chuckles, his arm around me in order to chaperon the two of us to the car. I laugh along with him, preparing myself to access a world of pure exhaustion where I will be totally exposed to the sphere of fire wanting to drain me of every fragment of energy.
"Nah, I should be fine, thanks though" I say, masking a yawn with my hand. "Listen, Sam, are you sure you want to do this? You're already injured, and well, this guy, if he wakes up –" Sam soon hushes me with a reassuring shaking of the head.
"Like you, I'll be fine. That shit-sucking asshole's taken my brother from me, I'm not letting him take my mom either, and well, I don't want him hurting you. Not just because you're a nice person, but erm, well, I think Mike's got a thing for you" Sam bashfully chuckles again at his opinion on what his brother thinks on me. It's a nice thought, but Michael is only a friend to me and I have other matters to concentrate on currently as my mind is most definitely not based on obtaining a boyfriend. However, mentalities can be adjusted. "But yeah, I just want to kill the bloodsucker now" Sam is more than determined to slaughter Max and his zeal for it seems more than required. However, I can relate to why he feels this way.
"I know how you feel, my sister got turned into one of them as well" I say, compassionately touching his shoulder to show that I can relate approximately to how he is feeling. In a reply, Sam elevates a crooked smile on his lips with warmness and places a hand on my shoulder as well. Through that one touch, I can feel trust constructing itself. I don't like seeing people upset at the best of times, but when I can associate to what their emotions, it is worse because I know the familiar pain.
Suddenly, the ball of light belts me. This would be another thing I wouldn't have to endure, the sun's attacks. No more hunger, no more weakness, I would be free. This is both the monster and human speaking, their influences being heard clearly. If I converted back into a full human, I would be normal again and consented to roaming in the sun. However, if I was transformed into a vampire by submission to frailty, this would be the same effect whilst excluding the sun. If it was my choice, I would become what I have been for the majority of my life. However, if this hunger rapidly grows, then I will be provided with no alternative.
Sam then presents me with something, a gloopy red liquid in a plastic water bottle. My sensitive discerning can only notify me of one thing, the liquid in the bottle is blood. It isn't human blood though. Instead, it seems to be animal blood.
"It might give you a little strength" Sam whispers with Edgar and Alan's eyes widening in the background in case I become crazy over the little bit of blood. "Plus, I don't think the Frog's will enjoy it too much if you vamp out. Um, I don't really want to see someone get killed" Sam murmurs, casting his view downwards out of shyness. He thrusts the bottle into my hands, waiting for me to make the decision whether to swallow it or not.
Circumspectly, I examine it before unscrewing the baby blue cap, bringing the bottle to my lips and angle it so the liquid can access my mouth. A foul taste dances on my tastebuds, causing me to retch a little and pinch my nose hastily so I can no longer savour the blood tainted with chemicals. Sam lurches backwards just a little, a pale hue leeching into his face as it is with mine. After downing only half of the content, I remove my fingers from my nose, gagging at the rancid and balmy sensation rising in my throat that strangles me.
"Shit, she's gonna blow!" Edgar shouts whilst whipping his amber tinted goggles out from his bag as a precaution. To my relief, I control the need to expel my stomach's contents. "Oh, maybe not. Damn, I've never seen a night-crawler throw up. Wait, do they throw up?" Edgar asks with a hint of disappointment and curiosity.
"Did Sierra look like she wasn't gonna throw up?" Sam snaps, seizing the bottle from my hands and rubbing my back at little as an abnormal feeling of vigour overpowers me. "Aside from the whole wanting to spew thing, are you alright? Do you feel better?"
"Yeah, thanks. God, that stuff was disgusting" I breathe as Sam guides me to the aqua-coloured Chevy where Edgar and Alan are positioned in, stakes and wooden sculptures of crucifixes in their possession. "Guessing they're looking to go all Exorcist on me, huh?" I manage to laugh, attempting to bring some mirth to the scenario. However, Edgar can merely grunt with a nod as if my humour in his opinion is critically authentic.
"Only if you piss us off. I've seen that film about twenty times in the last two weeks, halfie, so I know exactly what to do if you cross us" Edgar snarls, his demeanour assertive and threatening. Much to his disillusionment, it doesn't provoke me in the slightest as I had expected a response like that from him.
"You're not going to touch her, Edgar. She's helping us, not killing us" Sam warns Edgar whilst climbing into the front passenger seat, patting onto the driver's seat to gesture I will be the one transporting us to Max's location. With a smile, I take my place and start the ignition, allowing the elderly engine to roar, and slam the door to a close. "Right, we'll tell you directions. Try not to fall asleep, otherwise we'll all be killed. Or, um, an accident could happen. Yup, definite accident"
"Before we go, I just want to tell you all to stay safe and be on your guard at all times, especially when you get to wherever Max sleeps. He's not just any old vampire, he's the Head, which instantly means he possesses more authority and physical potency than the others. Don't make conversation with him at all, and just remain focused on the plan. Get in there quickly and get out in the same speed" I inform them with a nod from all three in approval and comprehension of my words. Immediately afterwards, I press onto the accelerator so we drive at a hasty yet calm pace.
"Yo, Grandpa! Just burrowing your car for a moment! Don't worry she won't crash it!" Sam yells at a bewildered Grandpa, but once he catches sight of who the driver is, a grin escalates onto his lips. "Oh shit, please, Grandpa, don't say any -"
"She'll need to repay me later! If you know what I mean, Sierra!" Grandpa chortles, blowing a kiss to me as I increase the speed to rescue us all from humility and a scarlet hue gushing into our cheeks. Only Grandpa could say and do something like that.
"He's so an alien. A perverted alien" Sam grumbles, slouching in his seat. As Grandpa fades into the background, I lower in the speed to prevent the vertigo twirling incessantly around in my head. It causes the Frog's to goad me for an extreme heightening in the pace, but I just disregard it. I'm too busy worrying about the younger ones health and fate to listen.
-
Presently, I'm alone in the car as the others were deposited at the end of the street to wait for my screaming commands to initiate the scheme to kill Max who is dead to the world – literally. Inhaling a deep breath, I place my feet firmly onto the road smothered in a level amount of cement, ensuring I leave the car door open so I can escape Thorn's wish to kill me quickly. Approaching the house, I feel strength, but I am devoured by unnerved sensations. I'm intelligent to distinguish that I am at a perilous risk in this entire process, and it frightens me. My fingers unlock the gate, causing Thorn to stir with a growl, a final admonition that if I challenge myself to foolishly make one more step, I am theirs to kill.
"What are you waiting for, Thorn?" With this confront, Thorn's menacing barks and growls amplify and leaps to his paws as I endanger his master's life, but doesn't move, persisting to bare his fangs at me. I jolt my next footstep, another intimidation tactic to enrage Thorn. "Hey, Thorn!" I grab a rock, throwing it a little into the air before catching it again, staring ominously at the white dog. "Fetch!" At that last word, I successfully target Thorn and catapult the rock at him! Thorn howls, instigating me to run through the unlocked and wide open gate. Thorn sprints after me, but I am the stronger one due to the blood I was forced to drink earlier today. "Now! Go!" I scream, entering the car, basically falling into it, and slamming the door just as Thorn commences swiping violently at the door.
I notice the others race into the house, not daring to look back to see Thorn in a protective outburst as time is conflicting us and we don't have much time until the evening pours in. I gun the engine, beginning to drive around at an express velocity around the desolate street, noting how I can see the stars encrusted into the sky fade in. Apprehension overcomes me, what if they don't make it? I will give it a certain time period and if they do not emerge from the house by that deadline, I will run for my life and into the house.
At an attempt to boost myself up in the seat, I immediately collapse again with a huge amount of nausea accompanying it. This is ridiculous, even my foot doesn't have enough energy to press lightly on the breaks! I stop the engine, endeavouring strenuously to keep my eyes open. Thankfully, the little bit of energy I have ignites and so, I stay awake – for now.