"…Miss me?" spoke a sultry voice. The man stood, revealing his dashing suit and flowing cape. He offered her a glass of crimson liquid that swished as he walked. Then came the devilish half-smile that made her delicate human heart race.

"Welcome back."

The black room. With velvet curtains, a small table, countless candles. She remembered this place in a long lost dream she once had.

"Am I… dreaming again?" Sakura asked, taking the crystal into her hand. In the back of her mind, she knew she had no intentions of drinking its contents. She was about to place the drink on the table, recreating what she did the last time she paid a visit to this dark recess of her mind.

But the caped figure took a step closer without uttering a word. The girl took a step back in response, only to have him come even closer in return. Her eyes closed tightly and she held her breath. The only sensation was his fingers gently tracing the shape of her jaw. Green eyes flutter open as she felt a hand rest on her neck.

Sasuke was staring right at her, with the hungriest eyes she has ever seen.

"S-Sasuke?"

In a swift motion, he slapped the glass out of her hand and thred her up against the wall. She gasped at his incredible speed as he knocked the wind out of her. The man towered over her with a menacing aura.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Sakura managed to say despite her trembling. Frightened whimpers left her lips as his come dangerously close. In a moment of sheer bliss, they connect and the only thing she could think about was how perfectly his lips moved against hers. But it's too good to be true. She was trapped.

As she panted heavily, he whispered, "I'm going to kill you, Sakura…"

In an instant, his teeth expand into killer fangs. Before she could say a word, a searing pain exploded from her neck. The deadly sensation raced through every inch of her being and she could feel herself slowly drifting away…

The only sound was her mind-shattering screams.

[11] The Reawakening

Sakura woke up screaming her lungs out.

A sweaty palm slapped against her neck the instant her eyes open. Her vision was dazed and her mind was completely blank. It took her a good five minutes before she finally realized she wasn't in a nightmarish state anymore. The cold sweat melted away and she took a breather to collect herself. Pains from her neck lingered and she could only wonder why.

She woke up in some random guest room, she assumed, after she passed out. To take in her surroundings, she noticed how dark it was inside and out. The sheets she laid on were itchy and uncomfortable; the uniform she was still wearing wasn't helping the cause.

The weight of her body shifted against the bed and the old springs creaked underneath her. She hissed as the single movement caused her whole body to shake in agony. Every muscle, organ, and tissue ached and trembled the more she moved. The suffering was just too much to bear. She cautiously lowered her body into resting position before she could throw herself into a deeper form of misery. A distressed groan left her mouth.

The ringing in her ears. The endless throbbing. The absence of memory.

.

Being the stubborn and impatient girl that she is, Sakura forced herself out bed despite the killer hangover, muscle spasms, and severe lack of coordination.

"I'm not going to lie here all day…and fricking rot…no way in hell…," she grumbled. She somehow made it down the hallway by leaning heavily against the walls. It was just now that she noticed how terrible this place was. Without the flashing lights, the cracks in the walls and ceiling were evident. The smell of cheap beer and throw up were making her nose scrunch up in repulsion.

'It smelled like something died in here,' she thought, absolutely disgusted.

After powering through, every part of her body started feeling numb. Whether that was a good thing or not, she didn't know, but she was knew for sure that she was getting the hell out of there. If this is what normal hangovers felt like, she swore to herself she would never drink again as long as she lived.

Sakura finally reached the stair rails and hoisted herself up. She half expected teenagers crashing on the floor just as she was in a spare bedroom. She assumed a few hours have passed by since she's been completely knocked out, but she couldn't be the only one left, right? After catching her breath, she gasped at the disaster site below her. Furniture was turned over and the windows were shattered, spreading shards of glass all over the place. Broken beer bottles and plastic cups littered the dance floor to the point where there wasn't much of a floor left. Yellow police tape X-ed off the front entrance that no longer had a door. And there was no one in sight.

Now, she was really confused.

How long was I out for?

The metronome ticked, ticked, ticked endlessly against the delightful hum of the violin. Clear eyes watched the music notes as gentle hands followed along. The skillful song went uninterrupted before sharp ears caught the knocking on the door. The young woman stopped the metronome and leaned the instrument against her stool before getting up and reaching for the knob.

Hinata couldn't believe her eyes. The girl twitching before her looked like a post-apocalyptic mess. Her coral tresses were knotted and unkempt to the highest degree and her complexion was so chalky white, there was no way that it could be healthy.

"H-Hi," muttered a beaten-up Sakura, who had been MIA in the last 24 hours.

"Wh..What happened to you!"

.

"Ahh, a real bed…," Sakura sighed happily as she lay sprawled out on a grand-sized mattress. Hinata was still in panic-mode as she paced back and forth in her bedroom.

"Um…we tried calling you."

"I have no idea where my phone went…"

"But why didn't you tell us you left?"

"I never really left…I guess?"

"Do you even know what time it is?"

"Okay, you're starting to sound like my mom." Sakura made a pained expression as she tried to sit up. Hinata rushed over to help and took a seat next to her. She noticed her friend's shallow breathing and her bloodshot eyes. It appeared as if the girl had a fight with death…where death won, for the most part.

"Speaking of your mom, she called me…," Hinata said. Her nervous tone was making Sakura just as uneasy. As if she didn't have enough to worry about. "She was… looking for you."

"And? What did you say?" the rosette asked apprehensively. God knows what her mother would've done if she found out Sakura was out drinking. Her shaky hand reached up to fidget with her cherry blossom necklace, only to feel nothing there. She tilted her head to get a look, but it only hurt ten times more than it actually helped. She was about to blurt out a string of curses to make up for the pain.

But Hinata interrupted. "I… I had to lie…"

Now would be a great time to make an over-the-top gesture to show how surprised she was, but Sakura could barely manage to turn her head to even look at her.

"You? Lying? No way! What did you tell her?" The life left in her was only apparent in her voice.

"Well… I had no choice! I had no idea where you were and…um, I just-t panicked!" Hinata fiddled with her thumbs. She looked away in shame as if she committed the most heinous crime. Truth is, it probably was the worst sin she committed to date. "I told her I was having a sleepover, like a last minute one because we were too tired to go home... and stuff. And um…"

"She believed you?" Emerald eyes widened as she waited for a response.

"Uhm…yeah, I think she did," Hinata said, smiling.

Sakura went in for a hug, only to pull away and yelping, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, owww…"

"Oh! Sakura, I feel so bad… You look terrible," she spoke gently. "What happened to you?"

"Uh, okay… Well, I woke up in like some random room and– "

"No, no, I mean last night."

"Hell if I know. It's all so blurry…," Sakura pondered as she tried to find a comfortable position. "It's like, I remember bits and pieces but…"

"You need to remember," Hinata suddenly spoke up. "Because… Well… You were gone the whole day. And the cops came– "

"Wait, wait, wait. The COPS came? For real? What for?"

"Yes! Who knows what else could've happened… I don't know, maybe there was something in the drinks. You could've been drugged or… something worse…."

"Drugged? Or WORSE?"

.

Fully surrounded by pillows and sheets, Sakura cleared her throat to tell her story.

"Okay, I was really upset about something… so I went downstairs..."

'You're a big girl, there's no need to cry about this!' Sakura said to herself as she stepped away from the upsetting view. Her heart was in pieces from the sight of Sasuke with another girl… Ami of all people! Ino, she could understand, but Ami? She thought he would at least have more class than that…

'There's tons of fish in the sea!'

But none that were nearly as good-looking as Sasuke fricking Uchiha.

She carefully wiped the tears forming at the corners of her eyes, trying not to smudge the makeup that Ino took forever to do. Speaking of Ino, what was she going to tell her?

"What were you upset about, Sakura?"

"Uhm…Nothing important! Ha ha ha, mood swings, you know, Hahaha... Ahem, anyway, Ino kept texting me, so I decided to look for her. And trust me, from what I can remember, it wasn't easy…"

Ino: did u find him yet? cant c him anywhere!

Sakura texted a reply: no but ill keep looking! ill let u kno if i do

She slid her phone into a breast pocket on her uniform and mentally prepared herself. What Ino didn't know wouldn't her hurt. Plus, she'd save her best friend a week of binge eating some chocolate ice cream and crying herself to sleep every night. Ino may not appreciate the little white lie now, but she could just thank her later.

There were at least a few hundred people here and she would have to venture into this boogie madness on her own. She took a breath and shuffled her way through the dancing crowd. Eventually, Sakura found the infamous alcohol table where the party really started. Kiba, acting like a party host, was shoving drinks down everyone's throats, literally and figuratively. The thought of taking maybe just one drink to calm her disastrous nerves crossed the pinkette's mind for a brief second. But then she tossed the idea aside. She told herself she wasn't like that.

'I'm going to be in control,' she thought proudly. 'No one is going to rule my life! Not alcohol, not drugs, not even Sasuke!'

Right!

Now, it's time to live up to her beliefs. She watched the future leaders of the world dance weirdly as the liquid crack ran through their systems. These teenagers were practically having sex on the dance floor and Sakura couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. She especially condemned the actions of this one girl who was dirty dancing on a table…oh wait, that was Ino.

"Oh wait…No, actually, I found Ino easily. Or I guess you can say she's the one who found me."

The cowgirl jumped off her platform and landed on her leather boots. Sakura was surprised just how agile she was but then noticed she wasn't drunk at all. Ino was just being Ino…

"Hey Pinkie!" she yelled over the music. She strutted over towards Sakura and poured herself a very, VERY heavy drink. "Fun party right?"

"Sure…" Sakura eyed the cup uneasily and wondered if she was seriously going to drink it. She did. "Oh, and I think you should just forget about Sasuke!" He's busy sucking Ami's neck off…. "He's, uh, maybe he's not even coming tonight!"

Ino shrugged and took a long sip of her deadly concoction. "I know right? Ugh, he could've AT LEAST called, instead of making a lady wait here like a dumb bitch… God, Boys SUCK!" She raised her plastic cup for a quick toast. Sakura quickly grabbed an empty one and toasted to the worse half of the human species. They laughed when Ino suggested they should dance.

"I'll even bring you up on the table with me!"

"No thanks, I don't think I'm drunk enough for that."

"What're you waiting for? Get started, honey!" Ino was ready to pour some liquid courage into Sakura's cup. She was hesitant to reply.

"Aye, Sakura!" said Kiba, holding a platter of mixed drinks. "Pick your poison!"

Ino nudged Sakura's side. "Go on!"

"And you KNOW how much I hate peer pressure."

"But they still got you to take a drink…."

"Hey, if you can't beat 'em…"

Join them.

Sakura got her hands on one of Kiba's special recipes that were guaranteed to help her "live a little". In a daily life of Sakura Haruno, there were a thousand and one things she needed to worry about. Sasuke was one of them and tonight, she didn't want to remember him. Not his face, not his name, nothing. Everything is good in moderation, and he was no exception.

And while she was downing her second cup, Kiba was passing more out to everyone around them. Ino cheered as she grabbed a cup of her own and together, they started celebrating Halloween the way delinquent teenagers should.

"And things went downhill from there…"

Blasting music vibrating against eardrums. Glaring lights blinding everyone in sight. Psychedelic colors flashing on and off and on. Movement, dancing, spinning, grinding…

All jumbled up into a crazy night on all Hallow's Eve.

"And I remember I needed to go to the bathroom, so I left…"

The pulsing bodies she tried to push through. The immeasurable line for the downstairs bathroom. The never-ending battle to climb the stairs. The stumbling and cackling.

"When I got upstairs, I had no idea which door led to the bathroom. I mean, we were in a mansion. There had to be at least one more bathroom, right? Maybe even more. But a part of me forgot this place was deserted…and none of the lights were working."

"Right…Ami said that all the party lights were battery operated and she somehow got the plumbing to work for like a day…?"

"And the DJ brought his own hi-tech, pre-charged stuff or whatever so there wasn't any wired electricity in the whole house. So there I was, looking for the bathroom…In the dark...sort of."

Pulled out phone. Click a button, instant flashlight. First door on the left – a toilet, bathtub, sink, mirror. Bingo.

Clap hands like a five year old.

Flushing. Laugh at the funny sound. Rushing water. Laugh at the funny sound. Slip on the wet floor. Lose phone in the darkness. Hears buzzing. Maybe text message, from Ino? Laugh at the funny sound. Looks for phone. Gets frustrated. Stops and whines about nothing. Looks for door. Succeeds. Leaves.

"I thiiiink I left my phone in the bathroom? I think…damn it, to be honest, I really don't remember…"

Throws open door. Freedom. Stumbles and hiccups. Sees a familiar face… gets frustrated all over again.

"And then I run into Sasuke."

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah, weird right? I've been looking for him like all night and he just suddenly finds me…looking terrible, I might add."

Yells…about something. Accuses him…of something.

"Yeah, that's all I got. I really don't remember anything else…"

Hinata was staring into space with a distressed look on her face. She quickly snapped out of it when she noticed Sakura trying to wrack her brain for more details. But Hinata already heard all she needed to know.

"That's okay, maybe you should go to sleep and get some rest," she spoke softly. The poor girl had been in a miserable state for about a whole day now, whether she remembered most of it or not. "If you still don't feel well, we can go to the hospital… they should find a way to help."

Sakura opened wide and let out an unwinding yawn. "No, no… I'll be fine by then, trust me. This is just what a hangovers like…"

Hinata laughed, "Hangovers don't usually keep you knocked out for an entire day… even Ino called and woke up before you."

"Well, she's had practice with this kind of stuff."

.

To the purely human ear, the only sounds in the room were the soft breathing from Sakura and the ticks of the grandfather clock. But to a half-breed bloodsucker, the sound of a human heartbeat appealed to the senses.

Hinata sat at the edge of the bed, truly concerned about Sakura's health. The thuds of the only heartbeat in the room were absurdly fast. Sakura was shivering and having cold sweats in her sleep. Her skin was cold and clammy. She complained about aches all over… Was she sick? What could have happened?

Sakura changed her outfit from a crinkly candystriper uniform to one of Hinata's comfy sweaters and sweat pants before she clocked out. It was already well into the night, she was sleeping soundly, her recovery was going well. But there was this uncertainty bothering the dark-haired girl. The drinks weren't spiked; she only said that to get Sakura's mouth going. If they actually were, half of the room would've faced the same fate. But that wasn't the case.

Hinata stood, pondering the fate of her best friend, but whipped her head towards the door when she heard footsteps close by. A long-haired vampire entered after being acknowledged and his clear eyes gazed upon the pinkette, asleep under lavender covers. The reverberating heartbeats were even louder coming from the source.

"You can hear her from across the yard," commented Neji, with his scrutinizing eyes.

"Sakura's suffering. I don't know why, but she's really in danger, Neji." Hinata shot him a heart-wrenching look.

"She certainly needs medical attention. It's a marvel she can even survive with such an accelerated pulse." He came closer, tossed Sakura's hair aside and examined her neck for any distinct puncture wounds. Neji then checked the wrists for any other injuries or damage. The two main sites for typical vampire feeding were completely untouched from the looks of it. His investigation came up short, but he was still undeniably perplexed.

Physiological signs pointed to a vampire, but it was not a part of the modern vampire custom to leave prey alive. It was a different story back in the day when hunting was a way of existing, but now, it's a rule: kill them or turn them. And since it was highly disgraceful to waste such prestigious venom on the pathetic human race, the only option left for her was death. And yet…

"These are signs of an attack, yet she bears no markings…" Neji placed his hand on his chin. "Did she tell you anything?" His voice was more serious than ever.

"Um… She doesn't remember much of anything…," she mumbled, growing more intimidated by his tone. "But she did say she saw Sasuke before she passed out… maybe he–"

"Uchiha…," said the elder vampire. He has been acting strange lately…

He stepped out of the room only to return in a flash. "He leaves us no other choice…"

Neji pulled a sharp-edged knife from behind his back. Hinata's eyes widen as she saw his intentions.

"W-Wait! Neji, don't!"

Sakura finally came to. Her vision was hazy, but she convinced herself it was more from her restless nap than anything. Tired green eyes spotted Hinata, sitting beside her. Judging from the way she was still slouched over, Sakura surmised she was leaning against Hinata this whole time.

"Wha…Where are we…?" Sakura said through a yawn. She looked to her other side only to see a window and speeding buildings passing by them. The vehicle jumped as they drive over pot holes and cracks on the roads.

"We're going to the hospital, Sakura," spoke Hinata, sitting very still and only looking forward at the windshield. Ko was driving with his usual expert ability, with Neji sitting at the passenger seat.

"Huh? Why? I'll be fine. I'm not hurt or anything." The upcoming patient waved her hands, only to cringe and hiss under her breath. Her hands immediately rush to feel her horribly aching side, when she noticed bandages wrapping around her left hand.

"You're not fine, Sakura. You're in so much pain… it hurts just to watch…"

Sakura was willing to roll her eyes at the naggy voice Hinata was using, but she was right. Sakura knew she wasn't really napping, but more like flowing in and out of consciousness thanks to the intolerable pain. Speaking of pain…

"What happened to my arm?" She lifted the soaked bandages, Neji shifted in his seat, and Hinata cackled nervously.

"Haha, um… we need a better reason to get you into the hospital, right?"

.

The lobby was embellished with pictures of pumpkins and cartoon children trick-o-treating. Sakura noticed they put one of the model skeletons to good use by giving him a top hat and a mustache. If it wasn't for the decorations, she would have completely forgotten it was Halloween. By now, the Halloween party felt like a million years ago. As Hinata supported Sakura to keep her from falling, Neji went up to the receptions desk.

"Good evening, my friend here unfortunately cut her hand when she was attempting to slice onions. She bled out profusely and she is close to going unconscious."

"Oh dear, let me see what we can do," answered a relatively young woman. Neji turned to the other two and waved them over. As Sakura came closer, she heard Neji say the words: "A private room would be fine, thank you."

"A private room? Have you lost your mind! How am I going to pay– "

"We'll gladly pay for it," Hinata smiled kindly. "You don't have to worry, okay?"

The only way Sakura could've felt more humiliated is if Hinata just waved wads of money in her face. She was practically doing it metaphorically, whether it was her intention or not – most likely not since this is Hinata we were talking about – but she never did any grand gestures with her money. Ever. So it was natural that Sakura became a little apprehensive.

"…If you say so."

Sakura followed a nurse that she had seen a few times around the hospital. She led them down the farthest corridor on the first floor. All the rooms on this wing were usually empty and saved for the old rich stiffs with the broken backs and pockets full of money. The doors were spaced out, leaving every patient with a lot of room and even more privacy, which is exactly what the Hyuugas were going for.

"This is it," the woman motioned towards the very last door at the end of the hall. And judging from the eerie stillness, they were the only occupants in the whole wing. Sakura got the feeling that Neji personally chose this.

"We'll send a doctor to help you shortly. Feel better!" The woman handed forms for the patient to fill out and went back the way she came. Sakura walked into the hospital room which looked more like a 5-star penthouse suite.

"Oh my god." The space was well organized and beautifully decorated with sea-foam green walls that gave off a relaxing touch. A flat screen television was aimed towards the patient's bed that was topped with decorative pillows and coverings. Neji sat on the matching couch situated in front of the nicely paneled windows. It was completely dark outside, but Sakura could imagine the beautiful view it would show in the morning.

'They probably added this wing when the hospital was rebuilt,' Sakura thought as climbed on top of the heavenly bed. A stabbing feeling shot through her, but she managed to get up in one piece. Hinata handed her the clipboard with the attached papers and a pen. Sakura was just about to fill them out when she heard the knock on the door.

Everyone looked up to see the visitor.

"Doctor."

Tsunade lifted her head from her countless of papers to see Shizune, one of the more trustworthy people on staff. She nodded her head and the black-haired physician walked in.

"There has been another case regarding a patient with severe hypovolemia."

Another attack? The chief of medicine placed her pen down on her desk and gave Shizune her undivided attention.

"You said if another one were to appear, we should let you know ASAP. So, I'm just letting you know…"

Ever since that one man was attacked a month ago, Tsunade has been cautious with severe blood loss cases. The situation looked like an animal attack, but she knew of even worse possibilities. Even if it wasn't habitual for vampires to leave their prey living and breathing, it happens. It was never often, but if the signs point to a feeding frenzy, then that was the diagnosis.

Tsunade clicked the top of her pen and pointed it towards a scrap piece of paper. "Patient's name?"

"Sakura... Haruno."

The page was left blank as Tsunade snapped the pen between her fingers.

Uchiha...

The Reawakening

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