To Cure A Vampire

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3Sharon’s eyes weren’t the cheery blue they’d once been. They were blood red.

Sharon snarled animalistically and struggled in her binds, her glasses falling to the floor and shattering. This didn’t look like it phased Sharon at all.

Abby retreated a step. Run. Run away. This isn’t your sister anymore. This isn’t Sharon!

And for a moment, Abby really wanted to follow that terrified voice and bolt out of the room. Maybe even find James and confess everything to him. Then they could both figure out a way to contact the vampire hunt—

Abby shook her head. No, that would mean the end for Sharon. Sharon, who hadn’t done anything to deserve this. Sharon, who’d sacrificed herself for Abby. Sharon, who’d spent the last week watching vampire love stories in the hopes that she would be able to control herself around humans.

Abby clenched her fist and strode over to the red button. She hit it fiercely and the IV released the blood into the vamp—Sharon.

Sharon struggled a moment longer, then relaxed, her eyes falling on the IV and following it up to the blood bag. Then she focused her red-eyed gaze back on Abby, as if planning how to get fresh blood.

Shivers went down Abby’s spine. But she stayed where she was, watching her sister get calmer and calmer, and watching those red eyes turn blue again.

***

A knock came at the door.

Abby jumped. No, someone couldn’t come in and see this. They’d think Abby was a psychopath, chaining her sister to a table.

And what about Sharon? How would she react with another huma—

Sharon growled and rattled her chains, eyes on the door.

“Abby?” came James’ voice from outside.

It took a moment before Abby could breathe.

“Are you all right? What’s going on in there?” A key was inserted into the door and the knob started to turn.

Oh, no. How could she salvage this?

The door opened and Abby quickly slipped through it and stepped into the hallway. “Oh, hi, James,” she said loudly. Maybe if she spoke over the top of Sharon, he wouldn’t realise there was a vampire in the basement.

James frowned at her. “You left without me. I thought you were going to wait.”

“Sorry about that. You know elevators, they get cranky if they’re open on the same level for too long.”

He looked confused. “I don’t know about that …”

Abby laughed nervously. “You’re right. They’re just machines, they don’t have feelings.”

A chain clanged in the basement and James flicked his eyes over her shoulder.

“I have to wonder if the writers of Terminator ever thought about elevators when they wrote the tag line ‘Rise of the machines’!” She laughed loudly, trying not to cringe at her own joke, and grabbed James’ arm. “Speaking of rising, I’m very busy at the moment and I’m sure you are too. How about we chat later? Look, the elevator’s even waiting for you. You can think about Terminator in there,” she said, all in a single breath as she pushed James into the elevator.

The doors closed and Abby relaxed.

But just as the doors were about to fully shut, Sharon shrieked—an unmistakable human female scream.

A hand shot out of the elevator.

The doors opened.

James had a set jaw when he stepped out. “That’s it—I’m taking a look at what you’re doing down here.” He strode past Abby, who scrambled to block his path.

“Look, it’s not what you thin—”

Sharon screamed again.

“I don’t want to hear it right now.”

Abby grabbed onto his arm. “James, just let me explai—”

He tore his arm from her grip and kept going.

Panic grasped Abby’s throat with icy fingers, and she threw herself between James and the door. “I can’t let you in there.”

But he simply pushed her aside and strode into the room.

“Help me,” Sharon said to James, her blue eyes imploring. “Please, she’s insane.”

James took in the chains, the table, the IV drip, then turned on Abby. “What the hell is going on here?”

Abby shook her head. “Like I said, it’s not what you think.”

James started for Sharon, picking up some bolt cutters along the way.

“No, don’t!”

But it was no use. He stepped up the Sharon and put the bolt cutters to the chains.

Before he could even cut the chains, Sharon snarled and lunged. The chains were the only thing that stopped her.

Abby pulled him away. “You need to stay away from her. She’s—sick. You can’t touch her!”

James dropped the bolt cutters, eyes wide. “What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything. This is why I told you to hear me out!”

“Then tell me!”

“There was a crazy lady who was a vampire and she sucked Sharon dry, then forced her to drink her blood. And … now Sharon’s a vampire.” Abby cringed—it sounded ridiculous, even to her.

“You expect me to believe that vampires exist and your sister is one of them?” James was incredulous.

“Yes.”

James shook his head. “No, I’m out of here. The director’s going to hear about this.”

Meaning he was going to tell Abby’s mum.

“You can’t!” She grabbed hold of his arm again, but he pulled away.

“Abby, you’re talking about vampires and hiding your chained sister in the basement and you don’t want me to tell anyone? You need to be admitted to the psychiatric hospital!”

If circumstances were different, she might agree with him. But … “Then you tell me if you feel safe releasing her!” She picked up the abandoned bolt cutters and marched over to her sister.

Sharon smirked evilly at her and Abby suppressed shivers. She put the cutters to the chain and glared at James. “How do you feel about it now? Am I still insane?”

James looked uncertain; his breathing was shallow.

“She’s not my sister anymore, James. I know you feel it too. She’s a predator, and we both know what she’ll do the moment she’s loose.”

He closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. When he opened them, he said, “Okay. Tell me everything.”

Abby started at the beginning. She even showed him the DNA results from the three tests.

It was late afternoon by the time they’d finished talking.

“So vampires exist,” said James. He didn’t even sound surprised anymore.

“Yep.”

James thought for a moment. “Do you think vampire hunters exist?”

Abby widened her eyes. “They’ll kill her! We can’t involve them!”

“You said yourself that she’s no longer your sister! Abby, we need to deal with this and you and I clearly aren’t equipped to do so.”

“I am equipped! She hasn’t escap—”

“Only because I believed you, because I know you and I trust you! But what happens if the next person who finds her lets her out?”

Abby had no answer for that.

James lifted his chin. “Precisely. We’re in over our heads, and vampire hunters are the only ones who know how to handle that.” He pointed to Sharon, who was watching them with intelligent eyes.

Those very eyes that had become disturbed when watching fictional hunters kill fictional vampires. Those very eyes that had pleaded silently with Abby to help her, no matter what. Those very eyes that were now about to be betrayed.

And Abby knew then that she wouldn’t turn her sister over to the hunters to be killed. How could she? This vampire, this terrifying monster who looked at Abby with hunger, was still her beloved Sharon.

“We’re not handing her over,” Abby said quietly. “We can’t.”

“But why not?”

“Because … because there has to be another way.”

And she could find it, she realised. After all, she worked in a laboratory with access to all sorts of scientific equipment. Equipment necessary for finding cures.

Hadn’t all those studying vampires been using labs? What had they been searching for?

What if they’d wanted to find a cure?

It was worth a try. And if she didn’t find a cure, at least she could train Sharon to not attack and kill humans.

Then, once Sharon was trained, Abby could release her and hope that she’d stay away from hunters. Maybe Abby could even train to her to not bring attention to herself. To drink only what she needed to stay alive.

But … what if there really was a cure? Abby needed to fully investigate that before she let her sister loose. Until then, she needed to keep her safe.

She met James’ eyes. “I’m going to cure her.”