Vampirellax

Chapter 2: The Start of Something New

After closing the door, Lucy took a seat across from Celeste and continued to brush and straighten her hair with her fingers. She was momentarily glad that vampires' fragile internal systems didn't produce enough blood on their own to show how flushed she really felt. Celeste stood their calm and still, like a delicate marble statue of Aphrodite.

“How can I help you Lucy? Veronika said you're having trouble adjusting?" Her tone sounded concerned, but her facial expression hardly shifted at all.

“Yeah," Lucy started, shifting awkwardly in her seat, “I keep having… nightmares about the attack and my … transformation."

“I see." Celeste took a deep breath and uncrossed her arms, leaning forward against the desk. “I honestly don't blame you. This is precisely the reason we have such rules and regulations in place regarding transformation. I'm so sorry you had to go through that experience, especially alone. Tell me about your nightmares? Are they different or usually the same?"

Lucy blinked several times, bringing herself back to the words Celeste was actually speaking, rather than the soothing sensuality of her voice.

“Uh, um, I mean they are kind of different, but they all end the same way," Lucy finally muttered. “I'm running from something in the darkness. Some wild - I don't know, monster." Lucy looked up to see Celeste flinch a little at her word choice.

“The vampire that turned you," Celeste offered.

“Yes, but it's different. He's, like, bigger and full of shadows with blood red eyes. I know, I know, vampires don't really have red eyes, but that's how I see him."

“That's perfectly natural and normal considering how traumatic of an experience this was for you. After all, you didn't even realize this world existed until your transformation," Celeste stated calmly. She smiled weakly, and Lucy let herself be comforted by the sympathy in Celeste's eyes.

“Yes, exactly. It's a lot to take in that this kind of stuff is real, much less that I'm, I'm-"

“A part of it?" Celeste interjected. Lucy caught eyes with Celeste for a moment and took a deep breath releasing most of her frustration. “I understand how difficult this can be, truly. It is a lot to process. Especially since vampires - even though thought to be fiction - are not painted in the best light. But please, let me assure you, Lucy, though your introduction to our world was in short a nightmare, I promise you are not a monster. Most of us are very good people, and we can teach you how to adapt to this new life of yours. It'll just take time."

“How do I make these nightmares go away?" Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and turned her eyes to the floor. Her scuffed up shoes looked out of place against the pristine marble.

“You have to address the root of these nightmares. Face the fears in your conscious hours to keep them from attacking you - so to speak - in your sleeping hours. I can help you, if you'd like, but ultimately, the work is up to you."

“I'm willing to do the work. I need to get some sleep, and Veronika does, too, or she might kill me… again," Lucy replied, chuckling a bit at the end. Celeste gave a soft grin in response.

“I don't think she would do that, but I completely understand. We can start working on this. Why don't you tell me a bit about your life before the transition?" Celeste leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms again.

“Well, I worked as a managing assistant for an advertising company. I spent a lot of late nights in the office going over numbers and details for my boss. I would go home and rewatch shows from the 90's.... I didn't really have that exciting of a life." Lucy looked down and tried to scrub off some of the dried mud on her shoe.

“I'm sure it was more exciting than that. But what I meant was, do you have any other experiences of trauma or negative life experiences? Sometimes that could be a reason you're holding on and reliving trauma through your dreams."

“I haven't really had anything before.... My life has been, well, basically normal. I've never had any real issues or problems," Lucy replied. She tucked her hands under her legs for a moment and started to feel a little embarrassed and off that she had lived such a sheltered life.

Lucy looked up and locked eyes with Celeste when she stood up and moved across the desk. She leaned against the side and softly placed a hand on Lucy's knee.

“Well then, no wonder you have some serious issues about this. This is the only experience like this you've ever had. Of course, it's going to hit you a bit harder," Celeste offered sweetly. “I suggest, if you're open to it, coming in a couple times a week to talk about it and your transition, in addition to your regular classes, to help ease some of the stress and anxiety."

“Yes, I think that would be great, thank you." For a moment, Lucy swore she saw a different and suggestive look in her eye while she patted Lucy's knee.