Hey people. Guess what! I'm sick again!
Erik: You seriously need to stop getting so sick.
Me: I can't help it! I have a bad immune system.
Christine: That just sounds awful.
Me: I feel awful. Anyways, I came here to write, not to get sympathy from everybody. I just finished watching my all time favorite show, Gossip Girl, and it was an excellent episode and I'm ready to write! Who knew Gossip Girl would be my inspiration?
Tassa: How can you watch that show? It makes me wish I was mortal so I could shoot myself.
Me: *glares* I love that show! I tend to watch really weird stuff, but I'll talk more about that at the end of the story. We'll all see you down there!
Why You Should Be Afraid Of The Darkness
One week. Tassa couldn't believe that one week ago, she had bitten the woman her best friend had fallen in love with. That was also the last time she had seen Erik; he had disappeared off the face of the Earth and it was really starting to worry her. The last time Erik had disappeared, he nearly walked into a church!
Sighing, she stood up from her seat on the sofa, setting down her glass of blood. She had no choice but to find Erik; he would do something drastic if she didn't. How did his late wife put up with his dramatic behavior? Or did he become this after she had died?
Natashenka walked into her bedroom, checking the clock to make sure that she would be able to get home before the sun rose. It really was a lot of work, being a vampire: she had to avoid churches, religious symbols, religious words, garlic, sunlight, holy water, and being found out of course. What was the point of having eternal youth if she couldn't go out into the sun? She could socialize, yes, but she wanted to go outside, feel the sun on her face and have a man on her arm...she hadn't thought about having a spouse in so many years.
Shaking her head, she pinned her black hair back, but before she could even walk into the living room, there was a hesitant knock at the door. Who could that be? It's two in the morning. Walking to the door, Tassa was shocked when she found the little human she had bitten earlier; Christine was her name. She looked different from the last time she had seen her: she was paler, dark bags were underneath her eyes, and she looked skinnier.
"Mademoiselle Christine, what are you doing here at such an early hour? Don't you have a performance tonight?" Tassa ushered the exhausted looking woman inside, offering a seat on the sofa. Christine gratefully took the seat and heaved a sigh. Why had she come here? All she knew about this woman was her name! And the dreadful fact that she was a vampire. Why me? Why did she have to bite me?
"Merci, Mademoiselle Natashenka. I came here tonight, actually this morning, to talk to you. Ever since…that night, strange things have been happening to me: whenever I go into the chapel to pray, I tend to shy away from the crosses and angels and when I say 'God' or 'Lord', my throat burns, and I'm avoiding the sunlight because it now makes my skin burn. There are so many other things that are going on too, but the oddest to me is that I've been thinking about you constantly, Mademoiselle. I know it sounds crazy, but whenever I try to concentrate or think, you're always there; I don't know what to do!" Christine explained, taking a deep breath.
Tassa looked at the girl with sympathy. So this was how she was going to change. What a painful way to become one of the undead. "My dear, the reason behind all of these odd things is that you're becoming a vampire yourself."
"What? No! No, I can't be!" Christine said, stunned. She couldn't be turning into a vampire! She didn't know vampires even existed until last week! Besides, they were one of the most unholy creatures to walk the Earth. "There must be a way to stop this."
"I'm sorry, Mademoiselle, but there is nothing I can do; you're too far into this." Tassa whispered, horrified at what she had done. She never thought that just by biting a mortal she could turn them in into a vampire! As if things between me and Erik couldn't get any worse!
"Why can't you do anything? You're a vampire; can't you help me?"
"Again, there is nothing I can do to help."
"How long do you think I have?" How long will it take me to become one of the living dead? Before I'll never be able to step into a church and pray to my papa?
"I'm guessing that by the next full moon, which is in three weeks, you'll become a full vampire. In the mean time, I suggest you stop going to the opera house; everything about you is changing and people are going to notice it." Natashenka stood up from her seat and walked around the room. How could she go about this whole process? Lately, every time she tried to fix a mistake, things just seemed to go from bad to worse! Before she could turn back and look at Christine, Erik's dark form entered the apartment; a scowl on his perfect face.
"Erik, you're finally back! Oh, I've been so worried!"
"You shouldn't have been; you know that I tend to disappear when I'm upset." He growled, not wanting to look at his mere de sang. It had been a long, difficult week and the last thing he wanted to do was to be showered by her concern and worry.
"I know that. Erik, there is someone here, if you haven't-"
"I've noticed, Natashenka. Bonjour, Mademoiselle Daae; I hope my friend hasn't bored you to tears yet."
Christine sat perfectly still as the male vampire, Erik, addressed her. He was definitely handsome enough, but there was something about him…something that told her that there was more underneath his face. "Bonjour, Monsieur and no, Monsieur; your friend has been very good company." She muttered, looking down at her wrist once again.
Erik caught sight of what Christine was looking at and gave a short, curt laugh that sent a chill down her spine. He didn't want to have see the evidence that she had been bitten. He didn't want to even look at her anymore. I still love you, my Christine, but you belong to Natashenka now…how cruel life can be. Annastiina, how I wish you were still here. Things would be less complicated…and I wouldn't have to fall in love again.
"There is something that I must tell you, mon ami, and I know you'll be very upset with me." Hanging her head, Tassa eyed her feet, feeling very small underneath Erik's powerful gaze. She may have been his mere de sang, but sometimes, she felt as if the roles were reversed and she was the enfant de sang and he the pere de sang.
"Just say what you have to say and make it quick; I want to go to bed." Erik sighed, grabbing a chair from the joining kitchen. He was too exhausted to care what she had to say and if it did bother him, he would bring it up with her tomorrow night.
"Mademoiselle Christine is…is turning into one of us." Tassa rushed, squeezing her red eyes shut and waited for the inevitable shouting. But nothing came.
Opening her eyes, she saw Erik's face and she wanted to cry at what she saw: it was blank. There was no emotion in his usually expressive eyes, not a feature on his face showed anything. She would gladly accept his anger instead of his calm façade. Christine felt Erik's mysterious golden eyes burning into her and she wanted nothing more than to meet his gaze, but she was too afraid to look.
"Tassa, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Right now, I just want to go to bed." And with that, Erik walked down the hallway and into his bedroom, quietly shutting the door.
Tassa knew this wasn't good; he would start to do something within a few seconds…but before either woman could blink, the sound of something fragile broke against the wall and a scream of pure anguish ripped through the air.
"I think its time for you to leave, Mademoiselle Daae." Tassa ushered the terrified woman to the door, but for some reason, she refused to leave.
"Do you think that I should talk to him? I-I feel a little responsible for all of this." Christine muttered, flinching when she heard something heavier than glass break against the bedroom door.
"I don't think that will be the best idea. You don't know Erik as well as I do and he doesn't like to be disturbed when he's in one of these moods."
"Please, just let me talk to him. I promise, if something goes wrong, I'll leave."
"Alright, but I'm not responsible if you get hurt." Groaning, Tassa led the girl down the hallway, gesturing her to open the door and to go right on in.
Christine watched Natashenka walk down the hallway and took a deep breath, preparing to enter Monsieur Erik's bedroom. Maybe this wasn't going to be such a good idea…everything about her life was turning upside down and the last thing she wanted to deal with was an angry vampire.
But she had to do this; she had to talk to Monsieur Erik that she couldn't say to Natashenka. Grasping the doorknob, she ever slowly turned it and opened the door, prepared to be hit with something sharp or glass. Instead, when Christine entered the room, she saw that the vampire had calmed down ever so slightly; his eyes were a bright red and she found herself missing the eerie gold color that they had been just minutes before.
"Monsieur, may I please speak with you?" she timidly asked, taking a brave step into the destroyed room. From the condition that the room was in, this sort of thing appeared to happen quite often: the walls had giant holes in them, the bed was covered in what seemed like…blood stains, and almost every single thing piece of furniture was broken.
Why is she still here? Can't she see that I don't want to be disturbed? "What is it?" he said; his voice menacing. Erik hated seeing the girl he admired flinch at his tone, but she should have known that by entering his room without his permission that she was going to get a cold greeting.
"Can you help me? I don't mean to seem rude, but I don't want to become a vampire, Monsieur; I don't want to give up my rosary for eternal youth. Please, is there any way you can help me?"
"I heard you say the same exact thing to my mere de sang and there is nothing we can do. Now, if you're finished, I would appreciate it if you would leave." How could she ask him to do such a thing? Couldn't she tell that he adored her, even if it had been from afar? But, there was still the question: how did she get his address?
"I can see what you're thinking," Christine interrupted his train of thought, "and I got it because you and Mademoiselle Natashenka are big patrons of the opera and when I asked the managers for your address, they gladly gave it to me. I'm sure they were thinking that I was here to…well, let's just say that they were probably thinking something completely different from what we are discussing now."
Gazing up at his face, she gave a slight smile, the first one in a week, at the surprised expression on Monsieur Erik's face. He apparently didn't see the hidden intentions that the managers had for their patrons! "You don't need to seem so surprised; the managers like to parade us ballet rats and chorus girls around for the men to see. Luckily, I haven't been picked yet."
Relief washed over Erik's body at the news; the girl he loved was still pure. "My dear, I believe that it is time for you to go home; the sun is going to be rising in a few hours and since you're changing, I don't want to take any chances with you getting burned or hurt."
Reality hit Christine full force at the mention of her change. She wished that she could stay with Monsieur Erik; he seemed like a true gentleman when he wasn't angry, but she knew that she should be getting home.
"Merci, Monsieur. I know this might be too forward, but would you…escort me home? My flat is just outside of Paris and I don't like walking by myself at this hour."
"Of course I'll escort you home. And here's a piece of advice: if you're to become a vampire, get used to the darkness." Erik cracked a smile as he watched Christine pale. Taking a hesitant step towards her, he held out his hand and waited for her to take it, but instead, she looped her arm through his, a slight blush rising in her pale cheeks. He had never seen the shy ballet girl so forward! It was actually an endearing quality.
Natashenka stood in the living room, pacing back and forth; she hadn't heard anything coming from Erik's room and she was getting concerned. Usually when Erik was quiet, bad things were happening! I should go and make sure that he hasn't drained her of every single drop of blood in her body…
Starting to head down the hallway, Tassa was stopped when she heard a knock at the door. Why is everyone coming to my home this early?! Turning back on her heel, she opened the door and gasped at who was there: her master, Raoul de Chagny.
"Raoul! What…What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since-"
"Since you became that pathetic human's mere de sang. I know, my dear. The reason why I'm here is because the word around the community is that you've bitten a human and didn't give her your blood. Is this true?" the man asked coolly, taking a seat on the chair Tassa had been sitting in earlier and downed the rest of the blood that was in her glass.
"I did, mon pere de sang, but I didn't mean to!" she tried to defend herself. She had never liked Raoul, even when he had first changed her. He was a selfish, arrogant, pampered brat who didn't give a second thought to what other people felt or about his victims when he drained them dry.
"You do realize what will happen to this human, right? She's going to die if you don't do something."
A sharp intake of breath was heard from the hallway. Spinning around, Natashenka clasped a hand over her mouth when she saw Erik and Christine standing at the entrance to the living room. Tears were filling her big brown eyes and Erik's were beginning to turn red as anger began to bubble to the surface once more. She was going to die? He wouldn't allow her to die!
"Die? I-I don't want…Monsieur Erik, I don't want to die!" Christine cried, burying her face into his shoulder. How was it that she had only spent an hour in this man's presence and she felt as if she could trust him?
"Shh, my dear; I won't let anything like that happen." He soothed, stroking her plentiful curls. What was de Chagny doing here? He had no right to barge into his home and tell Christine that she was going to die if Tassa didn't do something about it.
"You know it as well as I do, Erik, that if she doesn't drink a vampire's blood that she'll die, but seeing as how none of you are jumping up and offering the liquid that she desperately needs, she's going to die." Raoul said matter-of-factly. He turned his ice cold blue eyes to meet the frightened mortal's gaze; she truly was a beauty. Shame that's she's going to die. She would have made a beautiful bride.
Looking straight into the man's gaze, Christine let a small shudder rip through her and diverted her eyes back up to Erik's face; he had a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and thick black hair that was probably the envy of every man in France. She could see how he could allure young woman into his grasp and then…kill them. Not wanting to think about death, she looked back at Raoul and took a good look at his features: he had a boyish quality to his face that showed that when he was changed, he was between the ages of boyhood and manhood, blue eyes that, if they were softer and kinder, would make any woman faint, shoulder length blonde hair, and a fit body, but she could tell that he was just over her own height and she was a very petite woman. Erik was much more attractive.
"I'll give her my blood." Erik announced, placing a possessive hand around her waist. He honestly didn't know the girl well enough to have her trust or her love, but he had barely known Tassa when she had changed him. Perhaps they could learn to love each other. They had an eternity to do so.
"You're just an enfant de sang, Erik," Raoul pointed out, "there's no way that you can change her and become her pere de sang. You still have another hundred years or so before you're an adult and you'll drain her before she'll have the chance to drink your blood. Besides, Natashenka has to be the one to give the girl blood; she was the original one who had bitten her."
This was all so confusing! Christine didn't care who drank her blood or whose blood she drank; she just didn't want to die! Feeling Erik's arm around her waist, she decided that, if she had to pick between two strangers to change her, she would choose him.
"I want Erik to do it. I'm sorry, Mademoiselle Natashenka, but…I just want Erik."
"Don't feel sorry, my dear, and enough with these formalities. Call me Tassa. And, Raoul, may I please speak with you in my room." She glared at her pere de sang, who nodded and rolled his eyes; his attitude reminded her of a father who didn't want to be bothered by his children.
"Very well then; Erik, make sure that you don't kill her yourself." He snickered and followed his enfant de sang into her room, wondering what she could possibly want with him.
Christine felt Erik's arm leave her waist and she suddenly missed his touch, but she couldn't be thinking about him like that; she barely knew the man and he barely knew her. Yet, if he barely knew her, why did he offer to help her? Watching him move with grace she had never seen before, she noticed that he was rearranging the couch, putting down several blankets and pillows. He must be trying to make this as comfortable as possible for me. Is it really going to be as painful as the legends say?
"Please, sit down, Mademoiselle Daae." Erik gestured towards the couch. He didn't want to do this; he was as clueless as Tassa was when she had changed him, but all he had to do was copy what she had done…if he could remember it! Everything about his human life, besides his wife and children, were all a fuzzy blur. Maybe that's why Natashenka couldn't remember her past…
Settling herself onto the couch, Christine's brown eyes darted back and forth nervously, the twin bite marks on her wrist were beginning to hurt. Was it possible that it could tell when danger was coming? "Is this going to hurt?"
"I'm afraid it will, Mademoiselle, but I'll try and reduce it as much as possible." Reassuring her, Erik knelt in front of her and kissed the tender flesh of her wrist. He could feel his fangs begin to come and his eyes began to turn a bright red, but not out of anger this time. They were turning red because he could feel her blood pounding underneath his sensitive lips. Maybe Raoul was right, for once: he wasn't a true adult vampire, but neither was Natashenka! She was only one hundred years old at the time and adult vampires were supposed to be two hundred years old.
Christine moaned as she felt his two fangs poke her skin, not yet penetrating the thin layer. This was a different experience than before. When she had Tassa drink her blood, her only thought was to allow the woman to suck her dry, but now, dirtier thoughts were running through her mind. The legends she was told as a child said that when a male vampire drank from a mortal woman, it was often…pleasurable. Feeling a blush creep into her cheeks, Christine wanted to pull away her wrist, except Erik's tight grip told her that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. "Please, Erik, please, bite me."
"As you wish." He replied, kissing her one last time and sunk his teeth into her wrist, tasting her blood for the first time. Christine let out an agonized scream. If she had known this was going to happen, she would have rather died!
Erik had never tasted blood so sweet, so pure. He could barely control himself, but when he felt her pulse begin to flutter, he knew he had to stop. Releasing her wrist, he moved to cut his hand open when he felt Christine's tiny hand upon his chest. She looked so tired and ready to fall asleep, but he couldn't let her; she needed to drink his blood in order to be revived.
Christine felt her eyelids become heavy as she heard the sound of flesh being cut. Why couldn't she sleep for a few minutes? What was the worst that could happen? Closing her eyes, she heard Erik's whispered voice; it sounded urgent and concerned. She didn't want the poor man to worry. Opening her eyes, she gazed into his red eyes, glad to see relief in them. Letting her gaze drift down to his hand, she immediately snatched it up and began to lick the blood that already covered his palm.
"You're a greedy little thing." He chuckled, running his free hand through her curls. He let her continue to drink until he began to feel dizzy and slowly removed his hand from her stained lips. "How do you feel, Mademoiselle Daae?"
Christine let out a shuddering breath and curled up on the couch, burying her face into her knees. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She was now a vampire. A vampire! No more praying to her papa, no more guidance from the priests or the saints. No more of that now. She was forever condemned to a life of darkness and blood and…Erik. Lifting her head up, she saw the sadness in his eyes, which were a soft golden color now. They seem like a little boy's eyes. "I'll be…fine. I-I just need some time to think."
"Take all the time you need. In the meantime, would you like to stay here? Believe it or not, but that whole process nearly took an hour and the sun is about to rise." Erik offered, sitting on the couch, placing a hand on her shoulder. He wasn't entirely sure if he had changed her or not; her skin wasn't paling, her eyes were still a deep brown, and she didn't seem too concerned about the sun. Did I possibly change her back into a mortal?
Before Christine could take up Erik's offer, she heard a scream tear through the silence and jumped off the couch; she had never moved so fast in her life!
"Natashenka," Erik whispered, his hand moving straight to his throat. Raoul had done something to his mere de sang! Running to her room, he opened the door and his breath was caught in his throat.
Blood. Her blood.
And we're going to stop here! I've been working on this for days and I know it seems that I rushed Christine into the whole vampire thing, but I promise you all that I have something big planned. This past week has been so full of surprises! The biggest one was that my band teacher told us that she was pregnant! But she's leaving. We all protested and told her that the band kids were her kids, but all she did was smile and burst out crying! It was so depressing! If there's one thing I know about band kids, it's that we get really attached to our teachers and directors. I also found out that my daddy got me my plane ticket to go visit him in June so I'm very excited about that! And the final surprise: we're performing The Nightmare Before Christmasfor our marching band show!
Erik: So your teacher isn't going to be there for band camp?
Me: Sadly, no. She's three months pregnant and she's expecting the baby in the fall, right in the middle of marching band season.
Christine: That's too bad. I have to ask, what do you have planned for me? Am I a vampire or not?
Erik: And what happens to Tassa? If she's dead, I'll kill you!
Me:…Review please! Erik is going to come after me with something sharp if you don't!
Erik: And preferably on fire.
Christine: Erik, stop it!
Me: I'm just going to run now. See you guys later! Oh, before i forget, Erik isn't deformed yet. I also have that planned for later.
^.^