Full Circle

Chapter 3

My head is aching. The burning and dry sensation in my eyes mixed with the feeling of extreme exhaustion prevent me from opening my eyes. Not that I want to open my eyes. I would like to sleep, and I would love if all the images that keep flashing through my mind were nonexistent. Visions of a man in a dirty green baseball cap, a black plaid button-up shirt, and partially soaked in blood, plays on a loop in my head.

“Yes, it was us. We were keeping an eye on her. I knew it was only going to be a short time before she began to change.” The voice was only a whisper, but belonged to a man – It was strong but calm and soothing.

“Why didn’t you stop her? Why didn’t you help her?” This voice I know is Ana and she sounds irritated. I keep my eyes closed because they feel heavy, but also because I am confused. Who is she talking to? Where am I? I know I am no longer in the restaurant parking lot.

“We only arrived when she was already feeding on him. We didn’t want to approach her and make things even more confusing. The transition was an excruciating time for me and for someone like Zara, it could be even worse. I followed her back to your apartment and then went back to help Isiah dispose of the body.”

“I cannot even imagine what she is going through right now.” Ana starts to cry and I want to comfort her, but I need time to process what is being said. Who is following me? Feeding? Transition? Someone like Zara? Isiah? Logan?

At this realization, I am worried and fearful, but also slightly thrilled and even more puzzled. I want answers and couldn’t sleep if I tried now. I want to talk to Ana alone. I clear my throat and it is like she read my mind.

“Can you leave me alone with her for a while? I want to talk to her alone when she wakes up.”

I hear a door close and finally decide to sit up. For a moment, we just stare at each other. I can tell by the mascara running down her face, her hair in a rare ponytail, and the exhaustion on her face that this has been a long night for the both of us. We both begin to cry and then she crosses the room to the bed I sit on and we just hold each other and let out what little tears we have left.

I start to notice my soundings, which are completely foreign to me. The bedroom is gigantic. The walls are dark with white trim. Everything looks old in style, but new in condition. Very clean compared to our little apartment. The bed is large and soft with gray and black bedding and what seems like a thousand pillows. Wherever we are, the owner of this room has some expensive taste.

We release our hold and climb into the sheets facing each other and she starts to talk before I can bombard her with all the questions I now have.

“I just want to start off by saying that everything I am about to tell you changes nothing between us. You are my best friend and always will be.”

I don’t reply to her, I am just wanting to know what is going on here. Why it seems like me murdering a man tonight doesn’t seem like a surprise to Ana, and why or how this has anything to do with some dudes we met a few days ago?

“Remember when we met? We were both 17 and I was new at Shelton High? Us meeting and becoming friends was no accident.”

She goes silent and just stares at me with big eyes like she is waiting for me to reply, but I am even more puzzled. No accident? What does she mean? What does that have to do with tonight? I don’t say anything back, so she continues.

“Growing up, my bedtime stories were the same every night. Always about the evolution of the vampire race. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of years ago the earliest vampire, Iry, was born to two human parents. Iry is the vampire genesis. Every vampire after her was produced from her bite or that of someone she created.” She pauses long enough to assess my reaction, but I give her nothing.

I wonder why the hell she is telling me about her childhood bedtime stories; however, I have a nauseating feeling that she is trying to say that I am a vampire or connected to vampires. This is getting ridiculous on a high level. I will admit that using my teeth to take a chunk out of some dude’s neck was vicious, but I didn’t grow any fangs and I think I would remember being bitten by someone much less a VAMPIRE. I have heard stories of people having some extreme strength when they or someone they love is in danger and I was in danger. Maybe my adrenaline kicked in and just took over.

“What does your childhood bedtime stories have to do with what happened tonight? Are you insinuating that I am a vampire?”

I wait for her to reply, but instead, she continues with her story. I feel a surge of anger and confusion, but I listen to what she has to say because I feel, deep within, there is something happening to me.

“It is prophesied that another, like Iry, would be born to two human parents, she would have to hunt and kill the vampire genesis, and she would be the fall of the vampire race”.

“And what? She is me?” I say with a strong hint of a laugh. “Is this a Joke!” I let out a loud bout of laughter, which felt pretty good after all of tonight’s tears.

“I know this sounds like a joke, but I am serious. This is serious. This is your destiny! When my mom was dying, she gave me your name and where to find you. A vampire killed my mother because she knew who the destined one was! Her last dying wish was for me to find you, protect you, and help you!” She practically shouts at me and I find myself shouting back.

“I have had enough of this! You're saying that I am a vampire!? Some vampire prophet, born to kill the eldest of all blood-sucking monsters!? Your mom!? What does your mom have to do with this and why would she know anything about me? What the f**k does this have to do with Isiah and Logan? You’re doing a lot of talking, but you’re not answering any of my questions”.

I get off the bed, start looking around for my socks, shoes, and sweater. I only spot the sweater, so I grab it off a chair near the door and pull it on. I don’t care about my shoes; I just need some fresh air and I need to get away from Ana. I rest my hand on the doorknob for a second, turn, and look at Ana.

“The worst part of all of this is that our whole friendship has been a lie”. I don’t wait for a response. I turn the doorknob and step out into a dark hallway.

I look down the long dark hallway, on either side of me, and try to decide which way leads me out. I don’t see any lights and in the dark, it is hard to tell, but this place must be huge. Is it a hotel or is it a house? House is an understatement. I see a few different doors and decide to start peaking in. I reach a large set of solid wood double doors that look like they could be exterior doors. I open one up and look inside. It looks like a giant living room with a bed. Makes the room I just came from seem tiny and that was bigger than my apartment. There is a dim light, coming from some small flames in a large fireplace.

“You can come in, Zara” Startled by the man’s voice, I slam the door shut. Instead of walking away, I just stand there in the dark hallway just inches from the door. I don’t think I am frozen in fear or anything, I just feel drawn. The door opens and Logan stands in front of me clothed in nothing, but shadows and flannel pajama bottoms. All the intense feelings that have been coursing through me tonight are replaced by another powerful emotion. I stand there watching the flicker of the dim flames dance across his smooth and strong chest. Not moving, barely thinking, and not sure if I am breathing. Logan grabs my hand and leads me into the room and closes the door behind us.

He gestures to the chair next to the fireplace and I welcome the heat. After I sit down, he walks across the room, grabs a small ottoman that matches the chair I sit on, brings it near the fireplace, and takes a seat on it.

“How did your talk go with Ana?”

“I don’t know if you can really call it a talk. More like an argument laced with lies and betrayal. I am not sure I can believe what little she had to say”. I don’t know Logan well enough to read the expression he wears on his face.

“I know what she is telling you is hard to believe, but it is the truth.”

“Great, do you think I am a vampire too? You really believe in this s**t?” The look he makes almost seems hurt. “I am sorry, I am having a difficult time accepting this”.

“No need to be sorry and yes I do believe all of this, but I do understand what it is like to just be thrown into this world. A world where monsters lurk in the night. A world where good people become monsters. Where good people, like you Zara, do bad things. I learned about all this long ago and I still do not totally accept or understand it.” The look of pain and sadness washes over his expression once again.

I sit just gazing into the fireplace. I hear what he is saying, but I don’t know what to say back. After a long and slightly awkward silence, I begin to ask him some questions that Ana never answered.

“How are you and your brother connected to all of this?”

“Well, we all grew up in the same… community. Ana did not get a chance to discuss this with you?”

“No, she didn’t and honestly I am sick of her lies. We have been friends for seven years and all along I thought we told each other everything. I thought we knew everything about each other, but it turns out she knows me way better than I know her. Why wouldn’t she have told me all of this before? Couldn’t that have prevented me from killing a man tonight!?” Warm familiar tears well up in my eyes and spillover.

Logan stands up, grabs me by my hands, and pulls me to my feet. He puts both arms around me and pulls me in for a hug. I don’t wrap my arms around him, but I practically melt into him. I instantly feel calmer – safer.

“So, the night in the hotel. I do not really remember much.” Before I can even finish my thought, he chimes in, still holding me into his powerful chest.

“The only thing we did was danced, if that is what you are wondering.” I let out a small sigh of relief and felt the heat rise in my cheeks. “Are you disappointed or relieved?” Sort of shocked at this question. I thought about it for a long moment.

I start to notice how our bodies seem to fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. How I love the sense of security as I have never felt before when I am near him. I find myself running my hands across the bare skin of his chest and up to his shoulders. Our eyes meet for a moment.

Like the pull of a magnet, our lips meet. I feel his hands slowly move down the back of my body until they stop at the very top of my thighs. He effortlessly lifts me off the ground and I wrap him up in my legs. His body is firm and powerful. He makes his way toward the bed and sits down on the edge with my legs on either side of him. I pull my sweater off and before I throw it down, he literally tears my t-shirt in two.

I am taken over by an animal-like hunger. My breathing becomes deep and heavy. Feelings of euphoria well up within me, I open my mouth, place my lips on the top of his shoulder, and bite down. I know what I am doing is wrong, but it feels incredibly right. I tighten my entire body around him and continue to drink.

I lick my lips in an attempt to savor every drop. I look at Logan, half expecting to see fear or disgust, but his expression matched mine. Logan smiled down at me. I watched his green eyes change to a gold so bright they seemed to glow and his canine teeth double in length. A quick flash of fear within me instantly intensified my pleasure. I felt his fingers run through my hair and stop on the back of my head. He grips a handful of my hair, pulls my head back, and I let out a loud moan. To my surprise, his teeth sink into the side of my neck. I moan louder, but not out of pain. As he drinks from me, I am overflowing with pure pleasure.