Chapter 8 | Chapter 10

Author's Note: This chapter takes a dark turn, and is not recommended family friendly reading. Be aware - and enjoy!

In terror, the first and only thing I could think of to do was to run to Sonia. Which I did. She immediately embraced me and asked for the whole story. What I remembered of it, that is. Her eyes grew bigger with each sentence I spoke, and by the end she was nearly in tears.

"I should have known something like this would happen." Sonia said when I finally finished the story and waited for her response.

"What do you mean?" I said. I was afraid I knew the answer, but part of me wanted to hear it out loud.

"Dušan... you are no longer human. I'm afraid Vlad did not just feed on you as you had originally feared, but he also must have forced you to feed on him." Her eyes were serious, and she spoke haltingly, as if she was afraid to actually say the words.

I felt my knees try to buckle underneath me, and the world started spinning.

"What??" It came out in a harsh whisper. "What do you mean?" I asked, even though the answer was clear.

"I'm sorry, Dušan. There is nothing that can be done." She dropped her hands to her side, and sighed deeply.

The silence stretched between us seemingly interminably.

Finally, she spoke again. "I don't know what else to tell you, Dušan."

"The only thing I can say - is that this should not change who you are. You are a good person at heart. And you are still my friend." She held her arms out to me, and I could see no censure or fear in her eyes.

I folded her frail form into my arms. "Thank you, Sonia." I whispered, and then, without another word, I left. I had business with the vampire on the top of the hill.

I burst through Vlad's door without even bothering to knock, full of righteous anger.

"How DARE you!" I intoned.

"How DARE you say there are no hard feelings against my family - and then do THIS to me!"

"You welcomed me into your house with what I thought were good intentions! I should have known that was impossible for you."

He even had the depravity to act like my anger made him afraid.

"WHAT were you thinking?!" I demanded, trying to force an answer from him.

"I... It was for your own good, my son." He began, haltingly.

"How could ... THIS... " I motioned to myself and continued, "Be for my own good. I'm now DEAD!"

"No, you're undead." Vlad corrected. "And now you'll live forever. You'll have time to build your mansion and your legacy to rival even mine. After all that has been done to your family, I felt I owed you this honor."

I was completely dumbfounded.

Before I could come up with anything to say, he reached behind himself to a package on the pipe organ.

"Here, childe." he said and handed it to me.

I slowly ripped open the paper - only to find some plasma packs inside. Nearly shaking with anger, now, I looked up at him and began to speak, only to have him cut me off.

"You will not have to feed on humans, as many of us do. I can teach you to make these for yourself.. but you will have to eat. I can tell you haven't fed yet - and not feeding can lead to dire consequences. Both for you and for those around you."

"This. Is. Not. An. Honor." I bit out, barely coherent enough to even talk.

"How could you even think something like this would be for my own good. You have taken EVERYTHING from me!"

In a white-hot rage, I flew at him, and, to my surprise, he fled from me.

I chased him out the door, feeling myself slide into ... what I can only describe as... another form of myself. An angrier, more terrible form. One I hoped I never had to experience again.

Before he could leave his yard, he suddenly turned around, his eyes clearly showing his inhumanity.

Howling in rage, we met in the middle - a mess of arms, legs, and fangs.

I couldn't tell you how long the fight lasted, or even what exactly transpired during it.

All I really know - is that I lost. And when I came back to myself, I was alone on the ground outside Vlad's mansion. Shakily, I got to all fours and tried to push myself upright.

Well, that had gone well I thought to myself sarcastically. I dropped my head into my hands, at a loss of what to do now. Fighting with Vlad solved nothing, but I knew I would never forgive him for what he had done. Nothing could ever be the same again, obviously.

After long moments crying and feeling sorry for myself, I pushed myself to my feet and dusted myself off as best I could.

With nothing else to do, I headed home dejectedly. Things could not get any worse at this point, right?

I was standing at my campsite, feeling very sorry for myself when I heard someone stomping up behind me. To my utter horror, I turned around to find Alex there. How had she found my home? What was she doing here?! I glanced around, suddenly seeing my.. hovel.. for what she must see.

"I can explain..." I began.

"You'd BETTER explain!" She yelled. "You LIED to me! You're not a successful artist - you're a CON artist!"

"I am not!" I yelled back. "I already applied for the permits to build a home, and I have plenty of money to do just that! I never lied to you - I just didn't tell you I was living in a tent!" Weak at the knees from hunger and everything that had happened, I sat down on my pitiful little cooler to continue.

"Alex, I adore you. I couldn't risk losing you by telling you the truth. I AM successful as an artist, and I can afford to care for you. It just doesn't look like it right now. Things will change - I promise you!"

"You LIE! I can't believe a word you say! Imagine my embarrassment when I had to hear all about you from FRIENDS of mine who knew you better than I knew you! You've made me the laughingstock of everyone in Windenburg. Everyone knew about you except for ME!"

I started to reply.. I stood up, looking at her beseechingly.. and then I felt something slide in me. The world went a bit dim, and everything was spinning.

Or maybe that was just me spinning. Before I knew it, I was in that.. other.. form of me. And not out of anger this time. I couldn't excuse it on that.

I saw myself begin to attack Alex as if through a fog. And I couldn't stop myself.

The sweet, metallic taste of blood slid down my throat as I fed, but, still, I couldn't stop. This had been what Vlad meant when he said not feeding was dangerous.

My own body had taken the choice from me. Sadly, I set myself back down on my cooler, and looked down at Alex's crumpled form. She was never going to forgive me now. Whether or not I lied by omission was no longer an issue. I had attacked her.

I was completely "myself" again by the time Alex stood groggily up - so I was totally aware when she threw my ring into my garden and stumbled away. She didn't even say a word.

I'd been wrong. Things could definitely get worse. Desolate, I fell to the ground by my tent and gave into the rush of tears. What would I do NOW?!

Chapter 8 | Chapter 10