Chapter 15: Tales of An Unwilling Vampiress

Chapter 151

These Roses I Hold2

“Are we there yet?” It was, quite possibly, the most clichéd thing I’ve ever said.3

We’d been driving continually for about four hours straight, and my back muscles were staccato from sitting in the same position for so long. I must’ve drifted off sometime around seven and when I’d opened my eyes, it was to see pitch dark night beyond the windshield.4

“Couple more hours to go, I think,” Luke said wearily from the driver’s seat next to me. I eased both eyes open to look over at him. It was hard to make out much more of his face in the darkness than his green eyes.5

“Want to switch seats?” I was about ready to move. 6

He shook his head, lifting a hand to stifle a yawn. “I can manage. Go back to sleep.”7

“I told you, I’m fine.” I exhaled irritably, sitting up in my seat. I sighed, sliding Vampire Theory back into the tote bag at my feet. Ever since my vague dizzy spell back at Alan’s, Luke had been treating me like I was made of porcelain. I guess this was good in a way since it pretty much killed all the remnants of awkwardness between us, but I hated having him shoot worried looks over at me every five minutes like he feared I would throw up all over his car’s carpeted floor. 8

“Where’s Alan’s car?” I asked, squinting through the darkness ahead. 9

Of course, given my phobia with that car, I’d made some lame excuse about wanting to breathe fresh air, and Luke had been naturally allotted my care, seeing as his car’s roof was optional, and Alan’s was not. I must confess, I felt like a traitor as Miranda drove off with Alan in that sedan, but Luke’s car was only double-door.10

“He’s just up ahead,” Luke reassured me. I chewed my lip, wondering if we’d be able to see him if Alan decided to take a thirst break or something. I won’t say I didn’t feel any panic at the thought.11

“Miranda called just a few minutes before you woke up,” Luke added calmly, not taking his eyes from the road; they twinkled beautifully in the brief highway lights. “Just checking up on us. She’s fine.”12

I nodded as Luke reached for the can of Coke he’d been using to stay awake, draining it while he drove with one hand. The temperature outside was pretty cold, and I was glad Luke had raised the convertible’s roof. If anything, it kept the pages of Vampire Theory from flipping as I read.13

Yes, paranoid as I was, I was reading, and absorbing, as much of the book as I could. I am a great believer in “knowing your enemies better than your friends”.14

Now, on a whim, I pulled it out again, reaching up to turn on the overhead light above my seat, flipping through to the bit about creating vampires. I guess my mind had drifted to a certain neophyte in sleep.15

Which led me to another thought: I hadn’t been able to tell Luke about the whole car fiasco. I think the forty winks I’d stolen had been my body’s way of working over the shock. At any rate I hadn’t wanted to bear his reaction when I told him right then.16

It’s funny how life works at times. I saw a movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow the other day, where she’s about to get on a train and go home. The move splits into two different versions after this point: the perspective of her missing her train and arriving home to catch her boyfriend with his ex-girlfriend, and another perspective where she does catch said train and continues on with her cheating boyfriend. It all comes out to two different finales. 17

This car ride with Luke was a bit like the part where Gwyneth is at the train station; had I told him then about the car, and the real reason I was flipping out, things that weekend would’ve gone differently for both of us. Heck, we may even have avoided a lot of pain. But as it was, at that moment, I flipped a page and found myself in the Vampire Analysis section, and what I read there pretty much derailed me off the car incident.18

Vampires, the book informed me, were not, as mythology stated, Undead. They were no less alive than I was. They breathed, moved, slept, did everything that a normal healthy human being would do, but there were major differences.19

“Read it aloud,” Luke interceded softly. I looked up to see he’d been watching out of the corner of his eye.20

I read through the bit about their similarities, and then moved on to the differences.21

“Vampires, in actuality, are little more than genetically-altered humans, whose cosmetic and biological structure is simply an enhanced version of a human’s. Vampires’ craving for blood is a result of a severe leukemia-like case, where they seek to fulfill this loss of RBC (red blood cells) through feeding their hunger, much like a lion will crave raw meat.” I hesitated, took a deep breath, and plunged on. “Vampires have an extremely swift metabolism, thus provoking more spasms of hunger than a human might feel. 22

“A vampire’s fangs are the result of an ancestral evolution, derived from their need to adapt to seek blood; the fangs allow them easy access to sate their feverish hunger . . . .” I faltered, an image of Annette flashing before my eyes, the tendons of her neck ripped open. Luke started as if he was about to say something, and then seemed to think better of it, because he fell silent.23

I inhaled sharply, and continued. “Vampires and Biology. Vampires, unlike the folk lore derivation, do not pass on their “curse” by a simple bite, and/or transmission of infected blood.” There went Bram Stoker and Dracula. I felt slightly deflated. “Blood transfusion is involved, but it is not the blood itself, but what it carries inside. Silver Nitrate—”24

“I thought silver was for vampires,” Luke interjected, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged, and glanced back down.25

At that moment, Luke’s cell-phone rang. “Alan,” he muttered, glaring at the tiny screen, and he lifted it to his ear scowling.26

“He says we’ll be there in a few,” Luke informed me. I nodded, slipping Vampire Theory back into my tote.27

“Why did you bring . . . ?” Luke’s eyes shifted from the road to my bag questioningly. I bit the inside of my cheek.28

“Stuff happened. I meant to tell—”29

My cell rang this time. Luke seemed to find this recurring-bad timing amusing; a smirk played on the corners of his lips but he spared me a comment.30

“Yes, Mind?” I asked tersely. Right as I was about to fill Luke in too.31

“Tent or cabin?” she asked, nearly giddy with excitement. I froze, trying to figure out when exactly Miranda Kelsburg, head cheerleader, had shown any interest in roughing it.32

“Cabin,” I told her. So I can lock your boyfriend out, I thought, but didn’t say.33

In another few moments, Luke had pulled into the parking lot of a small cluster of cabins. I didn’t dare say anything to him now. Not with Alan and his “enhanced version of a human’s” hearing only a few meters away.34

***35

“Boat cruise.” Luke leaned over my shoulder, one hand resting on it, to read the pamphlet we’d picked up at the check-in desk. I shifted slightly under his grip, breathing in his usual scent.36

“Hell, yeah,” Miranda agreed. Luke coughed pointedly.37

“You do know it’s no bathing suits, and plenty of rowing, don’t you?” He shot her an amused smirk over my head and she narrowed her eyes.38

“Forest trek,” Alan broke in, before she could reply. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and Alan laughed quietly to himself as Miranda and Luke debated—squabbled—over either attending the kayaking trip—which Miranda refused flat-out—or the nature trail, which Luke thought a morning wasted.39

I, personally, vouched for the kayaking trip. Not that I thought Alan would do something in the midst of a group of hyped-up naturalist-wannabes, but why take the chance, right?40

Of course, seeing as I couldn’t very well tell Miranda this, I had no reason for not going. 41

“The boat cruise is enough water, Em,” Miranda exhorted. 42

“Personally, I like the woods too,” Alan added quietly, blue eyes fixed on me as though he were waiting for my reaction. I swallowed and glanced away, but fortunately—or maybe, unfortunately, depending on which way you saw it—Luke found this a challenge.43

“Boat cruise and kayaking have only water in common. Cruising isn’t even a sport we do! We’re just gonna be standing there,” he argued. I raised my eyebrows at Miranda. Touché.44

She glared, but again Alan intervened. “We can’t go camping and not go on a nature walk.”45

Luke narrowed his eyes, straightening, and I felt myself tense. He eyed Alan with obvious aloofness.46

“Macho, aren’t we? I still say the trail will be a waste. We’ll forget half the things they tell us about by the time we get back.”47

Alan raised an eyebrow over Miranda’s head, crossing his arms over his chest. There was a brief moment in which both boys eyed each other like wrestlers in a ring.48

Miranda, to my amusement, seemed to find this entertaining; she was hiding a gleeful grin. Me?49

I felt petrified, to be honest. I sat there holding my breath, hands clutched together in my lap. Luke knew what Alan was capable of. Why ring Death’s doorbell?50

“Why don’t we just split up then?” Alan asked, evenly, at length when they’d glared at each other for more than a full thirty seconds.51

He turned to Miranda. “You and I can go on the nature trail, and Luke and Emmy, the kayaking.”52

The blood froze in my veins in shock. He was undoing the reason Luke and I had agreed to come in the first place.53

Luke looked like he was on the verge of voicing his own opinion on that matter, but I finally leaped to my feet, yanking on Miranda’s arm.54

“I smell tacos. Lunch room!”55

Ignoring the bewildered stares of both guys, I dragged Miranda out. She must’ve been starving herself, because she didn’t bother to resist.56

Well, there was one thing gone right. Now I just had to stop Luke from provoking Alan into killing him . . . too?57

I glanced back as we entered the lunchroom. Luke had followed, but Alan leaned against the doorway of the check in-area, his icy gaze on the back of Luke’s head, his expression an unfathomable mask. His eyes were volatile enough though.58

Fighting down a shudder, I bent down on the pretext of tying a shoelace, waiting until Luke had entered the room ahead of me before I followed. Silly caution, I know, but nonetheless, it made me feel better having Alan’s view of Luke blocked off for the few seconds I earned.59

***60

There were, unsurprisingly, a lot of other high-school kids at the lodge. You’d think with the slightly elegant setting, more adults would’ve turned up. Miranda and I ended up with a cabin a couple hundred meters from the boys’, who, as was fairly obvious, did not share one. When an ignorant Miranda asked Luke the reason behind this, he gave her the “one Alpha male per certain territory” line. I’m not sure she got this, but he did succeed in confusing her enough that she didn’t bother to ask him to clarify it, for fear he’d muddle her up worse.61

Sadly, even if Alan hadn’t been a sadistic bloodsucker who loved to torment people, Luke’s explanation would’ve been true. It’s like holding a poll to decide who’s more popular, the quarterback or the star forward on a basketball team. The end result is a macho show of influence.62

I’m convinced all guys, regardless of creepy fang-inducing mutations, have something naturally wrong with them. Quite possibly known as the Y-chromosome.63

***64

I woke that night, feeling my throat parched with thirst. Rolling out of bed, I headed for the pitcher of water by the door.65

Note to self: never trust Miranda with essentials when she’s on an Alan-high.66

Groaning, I set the empty jug down and sighed.67

After a few more minutes of lying in bed, I swung my legs over the side of my bunk—we really were roughing it—and pulled my jacket on over my sleeveless pajamas, slipping my feet into my sneakers.68

I froze with my hand on the doorknob. Walking back to my bed, I pulled Vampire Theory out from under my pillow—PFO much, I know—and tucked it under Miranda’s duvet. She stirred slightly, but slept on.69

I moved over to my bed again, pulled out my suitcase from underneath it, and popped the lock. I smiled slightly, picturing Miranda’s face if she could’ve seen the baseball bat I’d brought.70

Miranda snored gently as I closed the cabin door behind me and stepped out into the night.71

The air was chilly, and I wrapped my arms around myself as I made my way towards the dining hall. I’d been assured that it remained open all night to cater to the lodgers’ whim.72

I got the jug filled, picked up a sandwich for a late-night snack—it was nearing two a.m.—dumped both into a carrier-bag, and set back out down the hill that led to the cabins. It was eerily silent, not a single awake soul around.73

I passed Luke’s room, then, several cabins down, Alan’s. It lay silent, the curtains drawn. Without realizing it, I sped up, a chill snaking down my spine.74

My path took me past the lake on one side, a few tents on the other.  Cool air blew off the water, ruffling my hair, caressing my neck.75

The air wasn’t the only thing brushing gently against my skin. Warm breath hit my ear, stunning my insides and I spun around, an icy spark of fear shooting up my spine.76

My hand was the only thing muffling my scream.77

Alan’s amused eyes took in the fear in my expression. I stumbled back, heart-rate accelerating madly. The baseball bat—which had earned me a few looks at the dining hall—lifted slightly into the air. 78

“Do—don’t do that,” I told him weakly, resting the hand holding the bat over my pulsing heart. It beat against my ribcage like a tortured bird. An uncertain expression flickered across Alan’s face. His smile toned down a notch.79

“Keeping fit?” His gaze lowered to the bat, which still stayed firm in my raised grip, and I flushed. It was amazing how stupid he made me feel right then. Obviously he had no plans of taking me down at the moment. And subtlety didn’t seem to be his way, past experience had shown me. 80

Forget the car, Emmy, focus!81

I swallowed. “Um, ye-uh, I mean, no, this was just . . .” I glanced around, mentally reprimanding myself. Alan raised a blond eyebrow. It was only then that I noted he was, unlike me, fully dressed in light-grey unbuttoned cotton short-sleeves, over a black undershirt and jeans. Obviously mine hadn’t been the only uneasy sleep.82

Although, even ignoring the outfits, Alan was way up there on the haute quotient. It should be illegal for the guy to wear light colors, I swear.83

On second thoughts, wasn’t there some old myth about vampires not needing sleep?84

“What do you want, anyways?” I demanded of him, mentally simulating what would happen if I bolted. His smile slipped back on, as disarming as ever, and he shrugged his broad shoulders. 85

“What makes you think—?”86

“Oh, yeah, because people randomly stalk other people in the dead of night for no reason.” My voice gave away too much of my uncertainty in that sentence and I cringed. Alan ran his fingers through his hair tiredly.87

“I was . . . going to see Miranda.”88

I gave him a skeptical look. His eyes widened. 89

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Emmy.” A smug grin trickled over his handsome features.90

My mouth dropped open. How had he made me feel like a moron twice in the last five minutes?91

My cheeks burned, and I unconsciously lowered the bat. “I—I never said . . . you’re the self-centered one, assuming I wanted you to have come out all the way to talk to me!”92

Alan snorted. “Are you listening to yourself?” He crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head in mock-pity. “Defensive much?”93

I scowled, fear subsiding. Now he was just infuriating Alan again. “As if you wanted to see Miranda! You just wanted to scare the hell out of someone, you sadist!”94

Okay, Emmy, pushing it, my mind warned. I stuffed that thought into the Ignore Closet.95

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Alan looked like he was enjoying himself. I exhaled, blaming my past week’s anxiety for inducing me into snapping like that. One side of Alan’s mouth twitched. I narrowed my eyes.96

This is definitely not the evil twin. That much was obvious. Had it been said clone, I wouldn’t have gotten away alive after that outburst.97

“Are you done yet?” he asked evenly. I blew out a breath of air, but said nothing, instead glaring at a nearby rock. 98

I guess that’s when the real gravity of the situation hit me. Here I was, arguing with some guy who, for all I knew, had been involved in the murder of two girls.99

Smart move. Really smart.100

“I—I’m gonna get back to the cabin now,” I muttered, backing up a step, fingers tightening around the bat’s handle. Surprise and . . . disappointment? . . . flitted across Alan’s face.101

“Why the hurry? You don’t look very sleepy, Em,” he remarked casually, stepping towards me. I froze, shocking myself. My mind yelled at me to either swing the bat or run, but my body . . .102

Wanted very much to let the distance close between us. My feet seemed to have glued themselves down. Shaking my head, I lurched backwards again, ignoring the electric jolts inside me.103

“Um . . . we have a lot of activities planned for to—tomorrow,” I added lamely. I tore my gaze from his steely blue eyes to glance over my shoulder.104

Big mistake. I didn’t notice when he simply ate the meters between us with two long strides.105

“Listen, Emmy,” he spoke softly, and I started, but his deep voice calmed my gyrating nerves, “I know I’m not exactly your favorite person right now” —his eyes appeared vaguely amused from this close up; we were barely a foot apart, and he towered over me—“so I thought I’d try and correct that by getting to know you a bit . . .”106

I stared up at him, my mouth most likely gaping. Get to know me? Didn’t he already know the layout of my room well enough?107

“Right now?” I asked incredulously, feeling my breathing constrict.108

He shrugged, looking away, and I inhaled sharply. “I wasn’t exactly counting on your wanting to hang out with me when Luke was around.”109

The boy had a point there.110

“Um . . . .” I paused. How do you tell someone you don’t want to hang out for fear they’ll off you?111

 “It won’t take long,” Alan added softly. I swallowed. He’d focused those startling eyes on me, but unlike the last time, I didn’t get that ill-fated hypnotic sensation. Instead, an entirely different one arose. A small grin slid up Alan’s expression and my breath caught. 112

“Alright.” I blame him with all his irresistible good looks for making me agree. I guess the fact that I was pretty convinced he wasn’t the murderous clone also kinda helped.113

But I wasn’t imprudent. The baseball bat spent the time we walked over to a bench and sat down, up in the air, as nonchalantly as I could pass it off.114

I thought I was doing a pretty good job with the flippant attitude. At least, ‘till Alan, in turning around and nearly earning a blow to the head as a knee-jerk reaction on my part, went, “You know, the jug would hurt a lot more.”115

I nearly dropped said object on my foot right there. And not only because of what he’d said, Alan, as he spun to face me, had ended up almost colliding with me as well. His arm shot out, wrapping around my waist as I teetered, startled, pulling me upright against him, albeit way too close for comfort.116

My face burned so much I could practically feel the heat radiating off of it. Or maybe that was Alan, who was now staring down at me, amusement etched over his grin and in his twinkling eyes.117

“Uh . . . .” My mind had shut down completely, I reflected vaguely, and then realized Alan had still not let go. He was gazing down at me, an unfathomable expression on his face, and I swallowed, feeling my insides swop. My grip on the carrier-bag tightened, but I‘d let go of the bat.118

That epiphany was startling enough to shake me out of my daze. Panic coursed through me, and I jerked backwards, freeing myself. Oh, crud, I’m unarmed.119

Goosebumps rose up my skin, shivers rippling off my spine from where Alan’s arm had touched it. Unfortunately, they weren’t of the creeped-out variety either.120

“Relax, Em,” Alan said smoothly. He held out something and I glanced down.121

I suddenly wanted very much to sink into the ground right there, and never emerge; I’d never felt so idiotic. Alan’s mirth was evident in his eyes as he handed the accusatory bat back to me.122

“Sit down, Em.”123

What choice had my idiocy left me? I sat, gaze fixed firmly on the bag I’d deposited on my lap. Thank God the jug inside had one of those anti-spill latch things.124

Alan dropped down beside me, leaning back slightly sideways so he could partially face me. I kept my humiliated gaze on the jug, even when he called my name.125

“Are you slightly more relaxed over the my-wanting-to-attack-you part?” he asked, bluntly, and my head shot up, eyes widening. A lazy smile crossed his face, eyes fixed on mine relentlessly. I studied his expression warily, trying to futilely fathom out what went on in that head of his.126

“You’re weird, Archer,” he said, abruptly, breaking the gaze off by shaking his head, blond hair straying into his eyes. I blinked, suddenly feeling, by some odd twist of events, like I could retort again.127

“Excuse me, this from the bipolar arse?” I asked, in my usual endearing manner. Alan’s grin widened, and my heartbeat sped up in response.128

How did his smile raise his hottie quotient like that?  It was a question I’d had in mind recently, but not over Alan—129

Going the wrong way, my mind cautioned. I blinked myself back to the present.130

“I didn’t mean it as an insult, Em,” Alan replied. Apparently, we were on first-name terms again.131

“How did you mean it then?” I raised a skeptic eyebrow. Alan laughed lightly to himself.132

“I meant it as in . . . your being different from the usual crowd. More . . . original, if you will.” He tilted his head, gaze almost intensifying, and I had to look away.133

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I muttered, one eye on him in case he tried anything. I mean, he may be hotter than the Winchesters on Supernatural and all, but that didn’t mean I had to exude naiveté.134

He sighed. “Still not easing up, huh? Can’t blame you, I guess. I haven’t been making a very good first impression, I know.” He blew out his breath, sitting up, and I tensed almost irrevocably, heart in my mouth.135

“Em, I know you’ve got a pretty good idea of who—what I am—”136

My head spun to face him so fast, I whiplashed myself. My insides jolted, and I sat up, knuckles tightening on the handles of the carrier-bag. Alan smiled humorlessly, blue eyes darkening. In that fleeting instant, with the moonlight etching his features, he looked almost . . . frightening.137

“I—I don’t know what yo—you’re on about,” I stammered, caught off-guard.  Alan gave me a skeptical look.138

“Since we’re both fairly intellectual, do we really need to go through the bit where I accuse you of being a bad liar and you refute it, or can we just assume you never said that?139

I flushed, and Alan grinned wider. “Careless mistakes gave me away, didn’t they?”140

What was the point of blatantly denying that I knew what he meant? I nodded, eyes fixed on my lap.141

A finger slid under my chin, warm around the chilly air, and I jerked upright, feeling the blood rush to my face, as Alan turned my head to face him. He was frowning down at me, head slightly tilted to the side.142

I’m proud to say, even in my swooning phase, I tightened my grip on the bat that I’d leaned against the side of the bench.143

“Let me guess, I scare you, weird you out, not to mention gross you to the max,” he assessed, impeccably hitting the bulls-eye. I swallowed a lump in my throat. 144

“Um. . . .”145

“Be honest,” he added, voice lowering to a deep husky tone. The hair on the back of my neck rose, as did the color in my cheeks.146

“Yes, you do. Very much. Did you expect anything else?” There, I’d gotten that out. Now all I had to do was wait for his twin to come around and kill me.147

“He’s not sure, you know?” Alan commented, letting go of my chin and leaning back in his seat. A rush of cool air blew where his warm breath had been, and I relaxed, calming my racing insides.148

“Not sure . . . ?” I was fairly sure I knew who the “he” was.149

He nodded absently, eyes drifting to the lake across the clearing. The black surface rippled ever so gently in a soft breeze. Hypnotic, sensual almost. 150

“He thinks you’re just making wild guesses. I don’t think you are.” He glanced at me, blue eyes catching a ray of moonlight. I blinked as they twinkled at me.151

“I guess . . . ,” my voice trailed off as Alan gave me a meaningful look, “I didn’t really make a stupid allegation.” 152

What was I doing? Oh, simply dropping the hammer on my own foot, basically.153

I leaped to my feet, my sane mind taking over, despite my insides melting right to my toes.154

“I—I need to get going,” I stuttered, snatching up the bat and carrier bag before they could crash to the dirt. Alan blew out his breath in a short, almost irritated hiss, making his golden bangs ruffle, but nodded. I stared before I could stop myself.155

I mean, hey, much as I detest it, there’s no getting around the fact that I am a testosterone-seduced human. More so, a hormonal teenaged girl.156

Alan didn’t seem to notice, and simply asked if he could walk me back. I hesitated, torn between sanity and emotion.157

Sanity won out. I shook my head, walking backwards for a few, and then turned and practically flew up the hilly path to the cabin Miranda and I shared.158

Only to find it empty.159

“Mind?” I asked warily, flicking on the lights as I stood in the doorway. The moonlight falling on her bed had not deceived. The bunk was unmade and vacant.160

Swallowing a bitter taste of fear in my mouth, I stepped towards her night-table, eyes alighting on a familiar handwriting.161

Oh, thank God! She’s left a note!162

I snatched it up—163

—And nearly keeled over onto the floor. My hand shook so much the piece of loose-leaf paper she’d probably stolen from my binder fluttered to the wooden floor. My breath was coming in short gasps, and panic arose in my throat, fueling an edge of fear.164

Em, gone out for a walk with Alan. He’s showing me the wood path. 165

Don’t stay up.  =D166

167

Love, 168

Mind 169

 170

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