Slow Life

I woke up the next morning in my room. I was disappointed; I'd been hoping to wake up to the sunshine on my skin. I threw off the comforter that Mary had given me my first day here and stood up. I looked down at the same outfit I wore yesterday and grimaced. As I moved to open the door, I was hit with a wave of pain and I had to catch myself on the bedside table to stop myself from falling down. My head was throbbing and I felt like I was going to be sick.

I stumbled out of the room and found the kitchen, holding my head between my hands. "Mary?" I moaned, my eyes darting around the room. I heard a shuffle and a gasp and suddenly she was there, in front of me.

"Oh, dear," she mumbled, touching the side of my face. "You don't look so well. How are you feeling?"

"I feel terrible," I admitted, so relieved that she was showing pity on me. "My head is aching and my body feels sore."

"It sounds like a bad cold. Oh, honey, come with me." She brought me into the living room down the hall and sat me on the couch. "Wait here just a minute, I'll be right back."

I could feel a familiar feeling while I laid on the couch waiting for Mary to return. I wouldn't open my eyes in fear of the sunlight triggering my head ache, but I knew who was here with me.

"Audra," I heard Mary call me, yet she seemed far away. "Honey, I need you to sit up and take these pills."

For some reason unbeknownst to me, his name came out of my mouth, "Ethan…" I told myself that it was to ask Mary to have him leave, but I couldn't say anything else.

Mary hushed me, "Sit up, honey." I tried to use my strength but I couldn't do it. Suddenly I felt someone pulling me up, and the only reason I didn't protest was because I was afraid of what I might say. "Here you go," Mary whispered, dropping the pills into my hand that she was holding open. I brought them to my mouth and reached out for the glass of water. I felt a hand over my mine to hold the glass steady, but it wasn't warm like Mary's. For a moment, I was angry that he was helping me. I pulled my hand from his and brought the glass to my mouth, taking a few gulps and swallowing the pills. I fell back against the cushions immediately, groaning at the scratching sensation building in my throat.

"Rest," he whispered, his breath like soft mint against my ear.

"No," I managed to grumble stubbornly before my eyes shut for the final time.

Suddenly I was back in the alley where I first met Ethan. I looked around, hoping he wouldn't be there and I could escape. My eyes landed on the motionless body lying face down on the ground. I ran over and knelt down beside her, flipping her over onto her back. Her jacket was soaked from the rain puddled on the pavement and I frantically pushed the blonde hair from her face. Her lips were lavender and her skin was pale, but I could tell she was still alive; her chest was rising and falling slowly, and I could just barely make out the sound of her jagged breaths.

"Wake up," I murmured, looking up once to make sure we were still alone. "Open your eyes."

I heard footsteps approaching and I threw a quick glance at the figure. I could tell who it was by their broad shoulders and menacing stance. I shook her harder. "Please," I begged. "I have to get you out of here."

Suddenly her eyes shot open and she stared at me with wide black eyes. She never blinked once and it felt like an eternity that she held my gaze. Her breathing grew steadier and when I opened my mouth to speak, she said something instead.

"Audra," she choked, her eyebrows furrowing. She looked confused, if only for a moment, until her look morphed into anger. Her face was changing, like she was becoming someone else. Her hands reached up to grab my throat, and though I pried at them with all of my strength, they were immovable. She squeezed tighter until my throat had closed and I couldn't breathe.

She sat up and continued to stare at me, her eyes now holding a red glow deep inside. I struggled against her, thrashing and clawing at her, but it got me nowhere. Her face was full of hatred and in that second I knew I was going to die. I stopped fighting and watched as her evil face grew blurry. I felt my eyes close and my body beginning to shut down, and as I felt my life leaving me, I cursed this new vampire for taking it. I cursed Ethan for changing her so carelessly. I cursed myself for getting into this situation in the first place.

And then I could breathe. I took as much air as I possibly could into my sore, greedy lungs. I opened my eyes and grabbed whoever was nearby so I could steady my heaving body. Everything was coming back into focus but I paid little attention. Someone was calling my name but I was so focused on the feeling of revival coursing through my body that I didn't respond.

"Audra," he was kneeling next to the couch. There were hands on both sides of my face and suddenly I was looking into his honey eyes. "What happened?" His tone was monotonous but somewhere in his eyes I saw a flash of concern. That was what steadied my breathing.

"A nightmare?" I asked, "It was just a nightmare?" I had no idea why I was asking him, he had no idea what I had seen. His hands dropped.

"What happened?" He repeated, but this time he was placing more stress on his words.

"I was back in the alley," I began, but I couldn't continue. Telling Ethan that I dreamt about being attacked by a vampire seemed silly, so I shrank back.

"And?" He looked confused.

I shook my head, "Nothing." I was going to push the nightmare from my mind and never think about it again. It wasn't real, and besides, Ethan had taken her from the alley. He must have seen my demeanor change because his eyes went empty again.

"Don't," he said, though it sounded more like a command. "You need to tell me what you saw." He looked stern again, his eyebrows pushing together in the center of his perfectly symmetrical face. He was wearing an uncharacteristically white t-shirt and from underneath I could see the hard ridges of his muscles.

"I don't need to do anything," I mumbled, sitting up on my own. The headache from earlier was diminishing and it wasn't excruciatingly painful to open my eyes anymore. However, I could think of at least one thing I needed to do, which was find a way out of here.

"Why are you so difficult?" He barked, standing in front of me with a glare.

"Why does it matter?" I challenged, "It's not like you care to know what I dreamt anyway!"

"You know what," he threw his hands up in surrender, "I don't."

"What were you even doing here?" I stood up too, brushing his shoulder as I passed by to walk to the window. He didn't move an inch.

"What is with you asking that?" He sounded annoyed, "I can go anyplace I want. Besides, it's kind of hard to ignore someone thrashing about in their sleep like that," he motioned to the couch. "I thought you were having a seizure."

"Thanks for caring," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

He was behind me then, but not so close that he was touching me. I could feel the annoyance rolling off of him in waves but I fought the urge to flinch away. "You act like I've done something so horrible," he hissed, "but all I've done is given you a new home."

"I had a home," I replied, my voice wavering at the lie.

"You had nothing," he confirmed, and for the first time, I finally admitted it. I was alone.

My thoughts drifted back three years ago, a sixteen year old version of myself sitting in the backseat of my parents' car. I had driven it a few times having just gotten my permit, but this wasn't the time. We were on vacation, driving down the highway to our hotel. My dad wore his glasses while my mom read him the directions. I was listening to my iPod without any idea that my entire life was about to change.

Our car ended up flipping a few times and landed in the ditch off the side of the highway. I lost conscience almost immediately, whether from the shock or the pain, I still don't know.

I survived with a broken leg and some bruised ribs, though my parents weren't as lucky. Both of them were pronounced dead at the scene and I was sent to live in a foster home until I turned 18. I managed to keep a job during that time, though, and by the time I left I had enough money for a cheap apartment. I lived alone and though I had friends that would visit frequently, I still felt like a part of me had died in the accident. Three years had given me a lot of time to cope with my new life and though I would never forget, I had started to heal.

I turned to look at Ethan, who was watching me warily. I nodded and kept my chin up, "You're right." His eyebrows loosened and I saw his hard expression soften only a miniscule amount. "Only now I have even less," I steadied my breath and looked him hard in his swirling caramel eyes. "I have you."

His entire expression melted off, understanding what I meant. To say that he was less than nothing wasn't true- obviously he was something- but I wanted him to know how angry I was that he brought up my past. I wanted him to know how upset I still was about the accident. I wanted him to know how hurt I was that he would remind me.

I stormed out, ignoring him when he called after me. He could have followed me out, caught up to me in a millisecond, but he didn't. Tears fought to be free but I blinked them back, clenching my fists at the difficulty. Instead of crying myself to sleep in misery I walked to the kitchen and began my chores.

If this was to be my new life, then so be it.