Between Heaven and Hell Chapter 5

Carrie told Ashton every detail of what had happened to her since she slipped out of his arms that fateful night. She found herself completely conscious of the fact that no matter what part she told him, Ashton’s face never changed. He just sat there, with a long, thoughtful look etched into his eyes and lips. It wasn’t until she had finished that he finally showed a reaction.1

“You need to feed?” Was the first thing he asked.2

“Yeah,” She said slowly. “I hate that fact. I hate killing people. I absolutely hate it.” Carrie wore a long troubled look when she thought about the two unsuspecting people she had murdered.3

“Isn’t there a way to feed without killing?” Ashton asked.4

“I don’t know Ashton. The only way I could think of that could possibly work is drinking some of their blood. But, I’m afraid that if I don’t completely kill them, they’ll end up like me. No one deserves that.” Her face was solemn and her eyes were filled deeply with pain. 5

Ashton was silent again for a long time, a deep troubled look etched into his brow. Carrie wanted to know what he was thinking. She moved closer to him, and his fright and excitement filled her. What thoughts could he be having to feel this way? She could sense his emotions, and wished that becoming a vampire meant she could also read his mind. Unfortunately, she was left to guess.6

“Carrie,” He said slowly, turning to face her. The moon lit up half of his face. “Show me your fangs, please.” Carrie looked at him, startled. Why would he ask her to show them? Why would he want her to get out the weapons she used to kill? She shook her head. He placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. “Carrie, please, just let me see them.” 7

“No, Ashton, I can’t. I don’t know how to make them come on their own, and even if I could, I’d be afraid of hurting you. What if when I unleash my fangs that thirst for blood comes back and I lose it and attack you? I could never forgive myself.” 8

“Carrie, please, I need to know you, all parts of you. I want to know everything about you. The good and the bad. I need to see all sides of you.”9

“No,” She said harshly. “You will never, never see me when I need to feed. There’s a whole other air about me Ashton, one that I think would make you never look at me the same. 10

“Carrie stop!” Ashton cried grabbing both her wrists with one hand and forcing her chin up to look at him with the other. “I love you for who you are.”11

“How about what I am Ashton? How can you love me for what I am?” 12

He sighed deeply and looked at her drinking in her new found beauty. She was so surreal in the moonlight. Silently, he wished to himself this was not a dream, and that he would not wake up in the morning to find her dead again. She considered the soft look on his face and closed her eyes, gripping his hands tightly. She opened her mouth slightly, unmasking her daggers. She could feel Ashton fill with excitement when he saw them.13

“Carrie,” He said slowly, as a bit of dread crept back into him, “I want you to make me one of you.” She looked at him, taken back and completely shocked.14

“Ashton no. Haven’t you listened to a word I said? It’s a curse, I wouldn’t inflict this on anyone, let alone the person I love most.”15

“But Carrie,” He reasoned. “What are you going to do after I’m gone? You’re immortal now, you’ll be here forever.” 16

“Ashton...”17

“No, Carrie listen to me, please. If I am one of you, we can feed off of each other. We won’t have to kill anyone else, ever. We’ll live together, happy, and we won’t have to kill. Please Carrie.”18

She thought for a long time. Would it really be as easy and uncomplicated as he said? Could this really be the answer to their problems? It seemed so real, but also, too good to be true. 19

“Carrie, please,” he pressured. “You said you would never turn someone into a Vampire who didn’t chose that fate for them selves. I’m choosing it, for me. How do you know that I wont go up into Heaven and do the same thing you did, just so I can come back to you?”20

“Ashton,” Carrie whispered. “I cant do that to you. Think about it. If I do, there’s no going back.” He looked at her deeply, love filled his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her. It was the most amazing kiss she had ever had, she could feel the love boiling inside him, electrifying her the second their lips met. She could feel his burning desire to be with her, immortal, for eternity. 21

Carrie allowed Ashton to lay her down on the soft grass and kiss her ear down to her neck. Lust mixed with love and boiled over her, sweeping her emotions off the edge. The urge to feed was there, but felt different than it had before. She tried to fight it, but could feel it slowly sweeping over her. How long could she resist?22

“Carrie, let me be with you forever, like we’ve always promised,” he moaned as he kissed down to her bare chest, running his fingers over every curve on her body. She felt aroused like she had never been before, every one of her emotions multiplied, and every touch was more exciting.23

“Ashton...” She moaned softly, moving back in fear of losing control. Oh, how she wanted to give into his pleas. But if he hated this life he could never go back and Carrie would be the one responsible for his damnation. 24

“Carrie, of course I’m sure. I want to be yours forever.” He seemed to read her thoughts. Carrie kissed his neck slowly and uncertainly, the sweet scent of his skin, and blood filling her. What if she did it wrong? What if she killed him trying? Her heart pounded hard in her chest. Ashton held her tightly. 25

“Carrie,” He moaned. “Please, I want this more than anything.” 26

“Ashton...I can’t,” she whispered, but without much conviction. She moved back away. He had always been able to talk her into anything. He leaned into her again, exposing his soft, bare flesh, tempting the little self control she had. Carries head was spinning with desire she couldn’t resist. Slowly, she leaned in and sank her teeth into his neck. His warm, sticky blood filled her mouth and drizzled down her chin. Quickly she pulled back, unsure of what she had just done.27

She clung to Ashton tightly, her head spinning. Her heart pounding hard in her chest, and her breath coming in short, panicky gasps. She could feel Ashton’s entire body grow cold in her embrace, and he broke out into a sweat, moaning in deep agony. His body trembled beneath her. 28

“Ashton?” she cried. “Ashton, please, say something.”29

“I love you Carrie,” He moaned weakly. His grip on her tightened until she could almost feel her ribs being crushed. Even with her super-human strength, she was unable to free herself from his embrace.30

“Ashton, please breathe deep and relax,” she begged, but he couldn’t seem to hear her. His eyes rolled back into his head and he let out a blood curtailing scream. Someone was sure to have heard it. Suddenly, his body went limp. Tears began to stream down Carries face uncontrollably as she scooped him up in her arms and darted off to the nearby woods. 31

She placed him softly down behind a large cluster of bushes just beyond the tree line. The light outside of a nearby home flicked on just as Carrie dove from sight. Her heart throbbed in her chest as she silently prayed they would not be found. What had she done?32

Ashton lay sprawled out on the grass, blood drizzling down his neck and staining the front of his black shirt. He grew paler and paler, then suddenly stopped moving. Carries’ throat closed as she leaned into him, tears streaming down her face. 33

“Ashton, I didn’t sell myself to the devil to lose you again!” She cried, angry at herself more than anything. “Don’t leave me, not now.” His eyes continued to roll back into his skull and suddenly, his whole body seemed to lunge forward. He shook violently on the ground, as if he was having a seizure, and then all in the same moment, stopped. He didn’t breathe or show any signs of still being alive. Footsteps could be heard out beyond the tree line, shuffling leaves over the grass. 34

She pushed Ashton’s body effortlessly underneath a bush, hiding him deeper in the shadows, then disappeared into the treetops. Carrie looked out over the cemetery to see a large porky man who looked to be in his sixties surveying the sight with a large brown bloodhound just ahead of him, his nose a magnet to the ground. She sat there, still as stone waiting and praying the dog would not find Ashton, laying just beneath her. What would she do? Could she kill the man and dog unnoticed? Carrie shook her head, disgusted with herself. How could she even think of murder as an option? 35

She was relieved when the man finally retreated back into the warmth of his home. She slipped down onto the ground and rushed over to Ashton who lay lifeless on the ground. What had she done? 36

“Ashton. Ashton please, wake up.” She turned him over onto his back. His eyes burned a hot, bright red, and his pupils were wide. 37

“Carrie,” he said softly. She melted at the sound of her name. The sound of her name said by him. 38

“Oh Ashton! You’re okay!” She threw her arms around him. He sat still, then slowly moved himself so he could wrap his arms around her, drawing her close. “I love you. I love you.” She whispered over and over again. 39

“It’s okay Carrie. I’m fine. Really.” How odd, she thought, that he was soothing her when she just almost killed him! If anything, she should be begging him for forgiveness! Carrie sobbed softly onto his shoulder. He held her tightly. 40

“I was so afraid that I had killed you.”41

“I’m fine Carrie. Really I am. I’m just really thirsty.” 42

“Oh!” Carrie shot up and rushed over to her back. She pulled out the jar of blood and handed it to him. With sturdy hands, Ashton began to drink down the blood. He sat back against the tree and sighed. “Do you feel better?” She asked.43

He nodded, wiping the stray streaks of blood away with the back of his palm. “Much. It was a lot less painful than I thought,” he smiled.44

“Ashton,” Carrie said seriously moving closer to him and shaking her head, “I honestly thought I had killed you. Do you have any idea how bad that would have been? I sold my soul to the devil to be with you and you were rolling on the ground with your eyes rolled back in your sockets moaning.”45

“Okay, okay, so it was pretty painful. But, I lived didn’t I?” he shrugged. “Well, actually,” A grin escaped his lips, “If you want to get technical, I guess I am dead. But that’s beside the point. I can be with you can’t I?”46

Carrie nodded her head and smiled, “Yeah, forever now too, right?” Ashton smiled at her and kissed her lips softly, her still shaking body immediately eased. He had changed, just as she had. His facial features were now stronger, and more stunning. His lips were firm, and his cheekbones were higher and more fair. His skin was a beautiful white and his eyes, black as night, were deeper and more alert than ever, with a small twinkle in them. Despite how happy and alive he seemed, Carrie still felt guilty. Was it selfish of her to take away his life just so they could be together, as immortals? What would he miss out on because of her? Or would this truly have been worth it in the long run? Ashton felt her discomfort and pulled her close to his hard, rock solid body.47

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” He asked soothingly, stroking her hair and dragging his lips down her cheeks. “We’re together forever now, just like we’ve always dreamed Carrie.”48

“I know,” She sighed, sitting up and moving an inch or so away from Ashton. She looked at him, pain and uncertainty filling her eyes. “But what if I took something away from you that you were meant to have?”49

“I’ll still have it,” he concluded. “Nothing has changed except the fact that if I check myself into the hospital they won’t find a heart beat.” Carries stomach turned.50

“Ashton,” She breathed, placing her hand over his chest, “You don’t have a heart beat.” With shaking hands she urgently placed his hands over her breast. “I don’t have a heart beat.” He shrugged his shoulders. 51

“Without a hear beat, we have no blood flowing in our veins Ashton...How can we feed off of each other if there is no blood to drink? This isn’t the movies! What was I thinking?” Angry with herself, Carrie thrust herself backward down against the trunk of the tree, fuming silently. Tears of rage spilled down her cheeks. “All I’ve done is created another monster, another murderer, another . . . me.” Her hands fell from her sullen eyes limply onto her lap. Ashton quickly pulled her into his strong embrace. 52

“We’ll fight it, Carrie. We don’t have to feed off of humans. We can feed off of animals around us.” 53

“Ashton, that might be easy for you, but I don’t know if that’s possible for me, I’ve murdered and drank the fresh blood of a human. What if animal blood isn’t enough for me?”54

“It has to be. It will be. We’ve just got to have self control. We can’t go around humans if we’re thirsty. It’s too dangerous. We’ll make it work though, alright?”55

Still frustrated and angry with herself, Carrie nodded her head, and buried herself deep in Ashton’s stone arms hoping that she hadn’t created another monster.