The Switch: A Tale Of Two Souls

Chapter Three: Finding Me

Elena/Beatrice

Pete is my boyfriend and he was going to propose to me on the day that I slit my wrist. He explained to me that I had done that because his sister-in-law had died, and I felt guilty because I was the one in charge the day she was brought into the hospital. So I tried to kill myself because of guilt.

He told me that I was an intern at the hospital where I had just been discharged and that we were both interns there. But due to my condition I've been given 2 months leave from work to regain my memory and to rest well, Pete has been my confidant for the past two weeks, constantly coming to my house.

He has been very patient with me, teaching me how to feed, and how to be in control of my new life as a vampire, but Despite his effort, I still felt a void within me— This is not my body.

“You keep saying it is not your body. But I don't understand what you mean by that. I've told you several times that this,” He paused, placing both hands on my shoulder, his eyes locked on mine with a mix of frustration, “This is your body, it's just that I can't explain one thing— and that is how you turned because you were not a vampire initially." He said, his tone laced with uncertainty.

"If you can't explain how I turned, how could you possibly know if I'm telling the truth about my body? I'm sure of what I'm saying, this is not my body.” I said firmly, with my face setting into implacable lines.

He heaved a heavy sigh, a look of tiredness clouding his face, “I don't want to argue with you today,” he whispered, with his eyes sweeping disparagingly over me as I stood in my jeans and shrugged off his hands over my shoulder. “so, tell me my love, how is the whole vampirism thing going, can you see now that we are not monsters?” He teased me, as he tried to lighten the mood.

“I don't know— I can only speak for myself, and I can say for sure that I'm not a monster, and I know you are not a monster either.” I said as we both chuckled, but the laughter felt unreal.

“That reminds me,’’ Pete began, his voice gentle, ‘’I've been meaning to ask you to come over to my place—at least to come and pay a condolence visit to my brother, Scott.”

“Oh, do you mean the husband of the woman that died because of me?” I said as guilt rushed through my bloodstream "I don't think I want to go" my chest tightened at the sudden mention of his brother.

“It was not your fault, please come it was in her destiny to die and so she did I want you to stop blaming yourself, what is gone is gone.” Pete protested, his voice firm but gentle.

Pete wouldn't stop talking about it, and so in order to make him stop I told him I was going to think about coming over to his place.

“Thanks, my love." He said softly and kissed my forehead. He glanced at his wristwatch and saw that it was half past eight in the evening, and so he stood up, ready to go home.

But as he bade me goodbye, a question that had been bothering me popped into my mind, and I asked him before he got to the door.

“Was your sister-in-law a vampire as well?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah, she was, why are you asking?” he rolled his eyes in curiosity, a puzzled look on his face.

“The reason is… I asked because I thought vampires never die, so how come she died? Was she really a Vampire?” I said, my mind racing with doubt.

“That is another popular lie about vampires. The thing is,” he paused and smiled before he continued, “The truth is Vampires are not entirely immortal.

But that's a lesson for another day, I really have to go now.” He pleaded with his eyes.

Pete had given me books where I learned about the types of vampires that exist, and what they fed on.

There were four important types of vampires. The first one which are the most powerful ones are called the hybrid vampires: they feed on people's energy and also feed on blood. The second one is the psychic vampires who only feed on energy— unlike the hybrid vampires.

The third ones are the sanguinarian Vampires who feed on human blood in very small amounts, while the last ones are the juvenile vampires who feed only on the blood of animals.

I am one of the sanguinarians and I have been able to locate people that belonged to the same coven as mine. I had even made a friend named Fenelia, but despite this, the void in my heart remained.

******

The next morning, I needed to buy some toiletries. Pete had given me some money to buy whatever I needed, and so I headed to the supermarket, but on my way to the supermarket, I met a woman who asked to speak to me privately.

“I know your heart’s desires, and I can help you fulfill them” she whispered, her voice laced with sure certainty.

“What do you mean?” I responded curiously.

“I know what you are searching for, and I can help you find it.” Her piercing gaze looked like she could see through me.

After hearing that, I pulled her into a quiet corner, hoping to know more.

‘’Who are you?’’ I demanded.

“I am a witch, and I can help you find out where your real body is.” she said, her voice flat.

Finally, someone confirmed what I had been saying all along — I didn't know if the woman was a fraud, but I was willing to risk anything to give answers to the questions in my mind, to fill the void within me.

“How can you be of help to me? And how did you even know that I am in a stranger's body?” I said, my voice trembling as panic began to set in.

"I told you earlier that I am a witch— I know and see spiritual things: Things that others cannot see,” she said, in a calm voice.

I felt a wave of relief wash through me. At last, someone has finally confirmed that I was not in my real body.

“But how can you help me?” I asked, my voice tinged with excitement, my heart pounding with anxiety.

But she didn't say anything, and instead handed me a card, and told me to come to the address later in the evening, then disappeared into the crowd.

By this time, I was excited that I was going to find out about my real body, about the family I might have possibly left behind, but something within me kept telling me, What if it was not true? What if it was all a lie? But I was willing to gamble everything I had so that the woman would show me how to fill the void that I had been feeling for the past two weeks.

I was ready to find myself, and this woman would help me find myself.