(Okay, read my profile if you haven't yet. It has a short segment on the last chapter I posted.)
My eyes shot wide. My face was flushed. Hot sweat covered my body. And I was very short of breath.
I sat up taking in a few deep breaths. Calm the storm before Godric comes in.
I was mortified. How could I dream something like that just by drinking his blood? It wasn't fair! I didn't ask for that to happen.
"It was just a dream," I told myself rubbing my temples, "Nothing happened. Forget about it."
"Does it really torment you that much?" Sookie asked from the closed door.
"You have no idea," I answered rubbing my bare arms.
"What was the dream about? You wanna talk about it?" Sookie asked sitting on the bed.
I shook my head, "I'd rather forget about it then tell someone."
"Good luck with that," Sookie laughed. "Even if I wasn't with Bill, I don't think I could forget about the first dream I had about him."
"It just… seemed so real," I said looking off into the distance.
Reality then shot me in the head.
"I have to go," I said knowing what time it was.
"Where?" Sookie asked.
I changed into my usual attire, "Freddy hasn't seen me since the dance performance and if I don't show my face he'll take drastic actions."
I bolted out the door.
"When will you be back?" Sookie called.
I ignored her running to the dance studio. I didn't have my bus card so walking and running was my transportation now.
It surprisingly didn't take me that long to get here. An hour max.
"Lacey!" Freddy shouted as I came in the room.
"Yes?" I asked seeing only him in the room.
"I've got great news!" he raved. "We made second place at the Performing Arts center but that's not even the half of it."
I was very confused. Freddy was actually excited to see me?
"Okay…?" I said unsure if I wanted to hear the other half.
"There is a local band and they're shooting their first music video and they want us… to be in it!" Freddy shouted. "We're gunna be famous!"
Okay, two things about Freddy, right?. One, he liked to win. Two, he was obsessed with being famous.
"I would have told you sooner but… you don't have a cell phone," Freddy said.
"When is this happening?" I asked.
"Sometime soon. The band still has to figure out the theme and all," he answered rolling his eyes.
"And until then?" I asked trying to figure out my future schedule.
"Andre wants us to perform a waltz," Freddy said.
We both rolled our eyes. It was one other thing we could agree on; the waltz.
"Andre and I will be here tomorrow at the same time so we can start," Freddy said.
There was a silence. Freddy just stared down at me with what looked like fear in his gaze. Maybe Eric freaked him out. Serves him right!
"Do you really hang out with vampires?" he asked.
"Are you really a Soldier of the Sun?" I shot back.
"Are you a fangbanger?" Freddy asked with attitude now.
"No, I'm not actually," I answered unsure if he'd really believe me.
"For some reason I don't believe you," Freddy said shaking his head.
"Well, I don't really have any proof on me," I said crossing my arms. "So neither one of us can be proven wrong."
Like I was gunna carry around a piece of paper that said I was a virgin!
He seemed to take it. Understanding that we had to meet half way on this one.
"You can still turn back to the light, you know," Freddy said taking a step towards me. "Once you're a fangbanger though, their's no coming back."
It was another factor to consider if I was to sleep with Godric. Once I gave myself to a vampire I couldn't expect people like Freddy to accept me anywhere. Even if Godric wasn't my first time, I'd be an outcast all the same.
Freddy grabbed my arm digging his fingers into me, "He hasn't tasted you, has he?"
Okay, he was talking about Eric, so I could answer truthfully, "No he hasn't."
I inhaled through my teeth when Freddy clenched me even harder, "If you're lying, and I find out a vampire has violated you, I'll kill you both."
"How do you intend to kill a vampire?" I asked in a whisper.
"By using you as bait," Freddy answered.
I gasped. Did he know about what happened at the church? Was he Steve Newlin's pet? I knew they had a relationship at the performance, but was he connected somehow?
"And all vampire's have a weakness; a stake to the heart," Freddy said as my arm went numb.
His remark made my heart jump. I saved Godric from a stake to the heart. Was he making a bad joke out of someone he knew happened?
Freddy released me shoving me against the mirror. I cracked the mirror with my head and fell to the floor holding onto my arm. My breathing was heavy and my heart rate was high. I just prayed I wasn't bleeding.
Seven years bad luck?
I sat up propping myself with my good arm. I looked down at my bad arm seeing a large bruise forming. It was a very large one reaching from below my shoulder to just above the elbow. It would be hard to hide from Godric unless I wore long sleeve shirts.
I stood up and walked out feeling slightly dizzy. I had a minor head injury as I walked home. My vision went in and out and my balance threw me off every once in a while. It took me a little over an hour to get home because of all the issued I had.
I walked in the front door and immediately went to throw on a longer sleeved hoodie. Hiding things from Godric was a challenge now that he would sense my emotions. I was confident I could hide my bruise until it dulled down a bit.
I walked out to the kitchen thinking it was about time I ate something. I found something quick to eat and threw it into the microwave. I was surprised Godric actually had one. I knew I was the only one that used it and I really didn't understand why he just got it for me to use.
I pulled it out of the microwave and started eating it then and there leaning against the counter top. I looked up seeing a dark tall figure in the walk way to the kitchen.
I jumped slightly seeing who it was.
"Trying to scare me again, Stan?" I asked gathering one final spoonful.
"Bump," Stan whispered inched from my face.
I flew back hitting my head on the corner of a hanging cupboard. I flinched holding my head hearing Stan laugh.
I looked down at my hand seeing red on my finger tips.
"God, Stan you made me…" I trailed off slowly looking up at the vampire.
His eyes were wide and I could tell he was trying to hold himself back.
"Stan," I said his name inching away from him.
He swallowed hard watching me move away from him, "I like a prey that runs."
I gasped glancing towards the nearest exit.
"I'll give you five seconds," Stan said with a wicked smile.
I ran to the only place I knew was safe. Godric slept downstairs with all his buddies. It was a place he asked me many times not to enter. But this was an emergency.
I ripped open the door and dashed down stairs. But then my time limit was up and Stan was following me. It was dark as I whipped around the corner running into something more my size.
"Whoa, what are you-" Godric started to say steadying me.
"He's gunna kill me!" I shouted at his face.
Godric threw me behind him. I landed on something soft as I heard Stan run down the stairs. It was dark but I still covered my eyes in case someone exploded on me. The battle was very loud and many bones were crushed and broken.
"Lacey?" Isabel asked coming up behind me.
She placed her hands on my shoulders trying to comfort me.
The battle ended. I glanced through my fingers terrified for my life.
Godric came over to me then. He sat in front of me letting my bury my face into his chest. He held me close rubbing my back trying to make all the terror go away. My breathing slowed and my heart rate went back to normal.
I managed to open my mouth and talk then, "Is he dead?"
"No, just knocked out," Godric answered.
"Can you really knock out a vampire?" I asked unsure if that could really happen.
"It's difficult; but yes," Godric answered glancing over at Stan's body.
"Is he gunna want me when he wakes up?" I asked slowly pulling away from him.
"More than likely not," he answered keeping one hand in mine.
I sighed in relief. What a day. First the dream. Then Freddy's threat. Now Stan's thirst. I didn't know how much more stress my body could take.
"What happened earlier today?" Godric asked after a moment. "I thought I felt fear."
"I was afraid I was going to be late to practice," I lied.
"You'll have to do better then that. I can tell when you're lying now," Godric said staying calm.
"Freddy just… scared me," I answered.
I think that was the first time I used my partners real name for Godric to hear.
"He scared you pretty bad then… and the pain… did he hurt you?" Godric asked squeezing my hand lightly.
"It was a rough practice," I answered trying to control my heart beat.
"You use that lie way too often also," Godric said with a slight laugh. "I want you to trust me… I know it won't happen over night but… we need to start trusting each other."
I can't tell you, I thought thinking of the consequences.
Think of one word in the sentence that's a lie, I thought.
"He… accidentally threw me into the mirror," I confessed only mentioning one injury.
"What are you not telling me?" Godric asked very directly. He was getting frustrated now.
Well, here goes, "He threatened to kill me."
"And… what was his reason?" Godric asked back to mellow tone.
"He thinks I'm Eric's whore," I put simply.
He was silent then. More than likely processing the information I just gave him.
"When do you meet him next?" he asked.
"Not sure… sometime within the month," I answered staring at Stan's motionless body.
"It's getting interesting now," Godric said.
"Um, okay?" I said not quite sure what he was talking about now.
"You're life. First the limo, then your apartment, the dance performance, the church, and now your dance partner," Godric explained. "It's very deep."
Deep enough to drown in, I thought.
Godric started going upstairs. I followed him knowing there was nothing for me down there anymore. I carefully passed Stan's body thinking he'd wake up any second now and scare me.
Godric waited for me at the top. There was a bit more light in the living room than downstairs. I smiled as I approached him grateful to be out of the creepy dark basement.
Godric reached up and ripped the sleeve off my arm. My bruise was exposed now showing off all sorts of lovely colors on my skin. I tried to cover it but my hand wasn't big enough.
"Who does this to you?" Godric asked with a snarl.
He reached out and held my wrist so I couldn't turn away, "And don't lie to me this time."
I looked down at the floor too afraid to make eye contact, "My dance partner."
"I hate it when you come home bruised all the time," Godric spat angry at the situation not me.
"I'm sorry," I whimpered.
His hand lifted my chin forcing me to look into his eyes, "I'm only mad at you because you let him do this to you."
I had nothing to say back. I didn't necessarily let Freddy beat me, he just managed to bruise me up every time we met. And plus, I'm a very petite girl. I can't use my body weight against him and I barely know how to throw a punch.
"Do you need my blood?" Godric asked after a while.
No one has seen it so I could lie to Freddy sand say no bruise appeared if he ever asked; which he wouldn't.
"Just a little," I answered as Godric slowly released me.
I took my usual serving of three drops. Nothing more. The dreams were already at full power and adding more blood would only enhance them.
Godric just watched me for the rest of the night. Where ever I went he someone how managed to find a place to sit and watch me without disrupting my peace or making me feel uncomfortable. I got the feeling that he was worried. Worried about what happened to his drinking buddy when the sun came up.