Make Your Move Katherine

I am a Vampire

“Welcome back,” Oscar’s voice so near to her made Kat squeal, then gasping for breath as she fell off the high bed landing on the wooden floor. Choking and dry heaving now for breath for she was already screaming when she awoke, out of her nightmare. He stayed where he was unmoving from the huge armchair, about two feet to her right, at the foot of the bed.

The hand that had clutched the base of her neck, dropped to the other hand within two seconds, when a sharp pain caught her attention then, coming from her arm. Looking down, in the pale light, she saw a sick sight of dark liquid, spurting. Queasy at the sight of her own blood dripping, her eyes rolled back for she had flashes of the bleeding man.

“IV. You just pulled it out,” he stated silently and she grabbed a pillow from the edge of her bed and covered the wound with it, yelping out as the needle stuck in her flesh. “Maybe you should take it out?” he went on in a too peaceful tone.

Kat didn’t take her eyes away from him and he didn’t bother to talk again and they stared at each other in the darkened room, illuminated by the pale blue light from the outside of her bedroom. That is until she looked down at her hand and pulled the needle out of her hand, wincing as she did so.

Using the pillowcase, she pressed it onto the opening breathing heavily until her lungs finally took some form of normalcy and Oscar spoke then. “So, you dreamt me?”

Kat’s eyes opened widened more but she didn’t answer him and he went on, “You screamed vampire. Lots of no’s… I guess I killed you?”

Kat covered her mouth with her unwounded hand as she tried to come to terms with her dream. The reality of it. Yes, the face was Oscar’s on the monster that always tried to kill her. But why was he so normal about it? And why was he in her room? And she looked at the digital clock on her night table- 4 AM. Wow, she slept a long time.

'Why am I having dreams about you trying to kill me...as a vampire...'

“You’ve been asleep since yesterday,” Oscar muttered when he saw her looking at the clock and Kat swiveled her eyes back on him.

‘What the hell?’

“I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you like that, I- just wanted you to see what happens if anyone breaks my rules.”

Noted. Kat had long vowed to abide with the contract…say some two days ago when she saw the bloodied- she winced and shook her head, trying to shake the gut retching memory from her mind. Now she understood why it was underground- to silence sounds. Nauseous, she bent over a bit.

“I wanted to return your phone to you after but you- fainted. You’ve changed Kat. I thought you would be able to stomach it,” he pointed to the nightstand on the other side of her bed, “Your phone is there with the Wi-Fi connected too.”

I feel so rewarded, Kat wanted to say in her dry tone to him but kept mum instead, for she remembered how stupid she had been earlier when she herself could have checked to see if the Wi-Fi connection was open when she had stolen her cellphone. She could have saved herself all this and probably have been back home by now.

“I believe that I have your- er- trust now? Yes? So, you can feel free to call or message whomever you wish- for now you see the consequence of disobeying me.”

'I had to go through this, for my phone?'

Still silent, Kat nodded and Oscar rose from the chair but stilled his movements when she shrunk back on the floor, holding the pillow as a shield. He raised his hands in front of him and muttered, “I just want to help you onto the bed.”

‘Help! Hah, from him?’

Kat shakily got up and scrambled on the bed, leaving the pillow there on the floor, pulling the sheet over her body and straight up to her neck, before she saw him sitting back down once more. Once seated, he pointed to the nightstand, "Band-aid."

Not wanting to disobey him, she quickly turned and grabbed the plaster, her body jolting when he clapped and a light came on. Blinking repeatedly by the sudden light, her eyes adjusted in less than a minute. She never knew about the clapping before as the maids never used it but she also knew it wasn’t the usual lights either for it was dimmer. Not in a situation where she was curious about it, she tore open the plaster, placing it over the tiny opening and crunching the wrapper into her hands, her head remaining down. She was afraid to look at him.

He clapped once more and it came off.

“To be fair Katherine, I did tell you what I am before, so you can’t be thinking that I- look at me- cheated you in our contract.” Kat saw when he clasped his hands together, seeming overly comfortable with her obedience and he said, "I am guilt-free."

Still, she stared and he went on in his stern but silent way of speaking, “Ju, made sure for the binding to work before the contract was made. Ju is my mage,” he explained for Kat’s benefit. “Mage is like a witch but in a good way- she gets things done. It’s how I was able to go to your apartment.”

So, Kat owed this Ju mage all of her misery.

He leaned forward and was quiet for a few seconds as if waiting for Kat to talk but truthfully, she was still in a state of lacking words. “Katherine what you saw- it's real. That is me. The real me.”

She knew he meant when he had walked up to the glass and growled before a sneered covered his features, showing her his teeth just before she fainted. She couldn’t help but wonder what happened with the criminal after.

“I am a vampire just as my father was before me- everyone in my Kingdom knows but it’s not spoken off. It’s an understanding that I will protect my people at all cost- all costs,” he emphasized.

Drago was a vampire- is a vampire too? Of course, a vampire can’t revert to human form she snide herself. And the entire kingdom knew? Then the memory of Nuwa's bloodied neck flashed on her face and her heartbeats quickened. His eyes! She remembered his eyes having a spark too on their wedding day...or was it the engagement?

“So, running to anyone for help is not an option. Anthony’s loyalty belongs to me just as everyone here.”

Oh, Kat knew this for certain now, for when she had begged the royal guard- everyone in the room as a matter of fact- to take her away for she couldn’t bear to see anymore, they had all refused her. “But as long as you are queen you are under my protection- you will come to no harm- I promise.”

‘Right, but it’s okay as long as the harm is done by you.’

The entire kingdom was a fraud. Her enemies Nobody would help her get back home is basically what he was saying. Kat was so not going to run anyway for she was beyond terrified. His little plan to keep her in check worked like a charm. But she didn’t say so, she just nodded for she saw how much of a shrewd Oscar was. He had an entire country backing him up- even her president.

‘Wait- I have nowhere to return to.’

“How are you feeling? Should I send for the night maid or would you prefer a nurse?”

Oscar called the cook, maid all the time. Kat shook her head no and so Oscar got up taking the cover off a glass of water that was next to her, from on the nightstand, holding it out to her. She hesitated at first, almost too afraid but her throat was parched so she took it, draining the entire contents and returning the empty glass to him.

“Hungry? I had Ju make this for you, he handed her a tiny packet and Kat opened it revealing a pale powdered substance. She could not be certain of its actual color. “She couldn’t help you with any pishogues because you’re already under a protection charm, otherwise you would have been healed already, so we had to leave you as you were. The nurse said you were fine however and she gave you the IV apparatus by the way, not the mage.

Kat was not taking anything given by this mage person. As a matter of fact, she was not taking any medicine administered under her- she was the one behind Oscar’s entry into her life. A sworn enemy of Kat now.

“It’s supposed to heal your insides with instant effect- I can just imagine the headache and upset stomach you have at the moment- hold on,” he turned and walked out of her room and returned a moment later with a bottle of chilled water that was taken from the small chiller in the other room. Opening it he held it out for her waiting expectantly for her to swallow the powered contents.

Kat couldn’t say no to him- he could very well kill her.

With trembling hands, she tossed the contents into her mouth and swallowed almost choking as it stuck in her throat, and Oscar tipped the mouth of the bottle almost eagerly and she swallowed greedily.

“Good, your appetite should be here soon. I used to use this too…you know, er before, so trust me it works.”

Before what? Oh God, she had kissed a vampire in high school?

Kat’s eyes bulged when she remembered what he had done that morning in school after prom. He could have harmed her worst if he wanted to back then with his vampire power- which was…strength, blood-sucking…what else? Wait- vampires were not the sun’s friend but she had been with Oscar in daylight on all occasions they had been out.

All occasions had been during the day

'This is not real. Not of it.'

This is impossible. Kat shook her head…is this the part where she will wake up screaming and find herself locked away being force-fed meds?

‘When exactly did I become…insane?’