Twisted Fate Chapter 12

I turn away, my back facing Sheila’s desk, when I notice my fangs forcing their way out unbidden. I hunch over, my breathing erratic.

“Damien, are you alright?”

The scent of her adrenaline and her rapid heartbeat are taunting me, luring me in. I hear Sheila jump out of her chair, startled by my agonizing groans.

“I’m calling 911!”

“No!” I throw my arm out to the side. “No,” I repeat as calmly as I can manage. I stagger toward the elevator, pressing the call button frantically until the door finally slides open. I grasp the handrail. As soon as the door closes, I swing around and press the garage button.

Putting distance between us suppresses the burn a bit. However, the need continues to overwhelm me. The venomous saliva numbs my tongue and threatens to run down my chin. I swallow hard, causing the burn in my throat to magnify in protest. No, no. Give me what I need, my mind screams.

When the elevator reaches the garage level, the clacking sound of high heels catches my attention. I pause, keeping my head down as the young woman approaches the elevator. Within seconds, I have her pinned down in the backseat of my Bentley. The red-haired woman’s eyes are flooded with fear. She kicks wildly as my cupped hand muffles her screams. I bend my head toward her and stare deeply into her eyes. The woman’s pupils dilate fully. Once brown eyes are now veiled by complete darkness.

“Relax,” I whisper. “Don’t be afraid. I promise no harm will come to you.”

Her eyes remain black as night and her body lets loose. I tear into her flesh, unable to fight the craving any longer. Her blood eases the pain instantly, slowly sending me into a euphoric state.

I lean against the car door, staring at her catatonic body that is strewn out along the backseat. Though it is undoubtedly cruel, it’s a magnificent alternative to taking one’s life. I can live with this method, as long as I choose strangers. If I had done this to Sheila, I could never look her in the eye again. Sheila’s like family, been working for me for years. Victimizing her is not an option.

The woman sits up slowly, wobbling as she tries to find leverage. I touch her face lightly and our eyes again engage. “You don’t remember anything that has happened since the elevator door opened. Get out of the car and go about your business.”

As soon as the woman is inside the elevator, I jump into the driver’s seat and rev the engine. The mere thought of what I could’ve done to Sheila makes it impossible for me to face her. I need to be alone. I need to be far away from everything associated with my new life.

A quick ten minute drive brings me to my home, my human home. The skies are overcast, which I’m hoping will allow me to do what I am foolishly about to attempt. I open the car door, stretching my arm out into the open air. Hmm, no burn. Excellent! I speedily exit the car, retrieving the hide-a-key from the rock bed, then rushing to the front door.

Once I enter, I deactivate the alarm system. I expected that Caleb would have rearranged everything, or even worse, completely gutted the place. I am thrilled to see everything has been left the way it was.

I glance at the grand piano in the corner of the room, then lower my head. My mother loved this piano. I pull out the bench and sit down, closing my eyes and resting my fingers on the keys. My thoughts drift to the times my mother and I had played together.

I am sitting on my mother’s lap. My small hands barely span across three keys. I can feel them; feel the pure joy of my former self as I bang on them randomly. My mother’s hands are on either side of mine, finding the keys effortlessly as she plays. She rests her chin on my shoulder and sings quietly into my ear. Her voice is as angelic as I remember. I am amused and bewildered by her ability to play so perfectly, despite my horrible accompaniment. It is a beautiful mess.

I want so terribly to turn around and see my mother’s face, but my childhood body plunks away at the keys with wide-eyed excitement. I have no control, only the unfathomable ability to relive the moment. The thrill is beyond earthly explanation.

The phone rings, yanking me out of my reverie. It’s Caleb. If I don’t answer, he will blow up my phone until I finally do.

I answer with an abrupt, “Yeah.”

“Sheila called.”

“I figured as much,” I say, unable to hide my irritation.

“She’s worried sick. Should she be?”

“I’m fine.”

“Sheila said you were in a lot of pain.”

“Like I said, I’m fine!”

Caleb huffs and says, “I believe you. She thinks you had a relapse. Back pain from your skydiving accident, so you’re in the clear.”

“Great,” I say dryly.

“Are you coming back anytime soon?”

I look out the window. The clouds have parted, preventing me from leaving. Not that I want to leave. The sun just happens to be a convenient excuse for me to stay where I truly want to be.

“What I really need right now is to be alone.” I let out an exasperating sigh. “A break from all of this.” I brace myself for the berating. You can’t hide from this, Damien! Deal with it! This is who you are now!

“I’m five minutes away from the office. I’ll cover you.”

How unexpected and uncharacteristic of him. It takes a moment for me to process his concurrence. “Just cancel the rest of the appointments.”

“Why? I covered for you for three months. What’s one more day?” His tone is serious as he adds, “We are talking about one day here, aren’t we?”

“Just one day, I promise. Hey, I need to ask you something. A strange thing happened. I was thinking about…someone…and I had a vision.”

“Really,” Caleb says, less like a question and more like a statement. “This vision, was it more than that? Was it tangible?”

“Yes! It was like I was there. I felt everything!” So, I’m not going insane? That’s the best news I’ve heard in months!

“And you’re really okay?” Caleb asks.

“It was amazing! Even more so now that I know I’m not crazy, but why would you keep this from me?”

“I had to be sure you were ready to use the knowledge properly.  You sure know how to blow plans out of the water, don’t you?”

“How does it work?”

“Your mind is a vessel. It stores all of your experiences and holds them for eternity. If you concentrate hard enough, you can relive any moment of your choosing as if it’s reality. It’s a useful coping tool. On the other hand, it can be detrimental if you relive a bad memory.”

“Why wasn’t I able to move? It was like I was being controlled.”

“It’s multidimensional memory replay, not time travel. You can’t change anything; only relive it in your mind.”

“Have you tried it?”

“Of course, I have.”

“What kind of memories do you relive?” I think about what I just asked. “Never mind!”

“It gives new meaning to the words spank bank, doesn’t it?”

I haven’t laughed this hard in…I don’t know how long. It feels wonderful.

“Make the best of this downtime. Go relax and please don’t delve into any more memories. It’s too risky for you to do it alone.”

“Thank you, Caleb.”

I open the front door. It’s around ten o’clock and a fifteen foot shroud of shade protects me from the sun’s rays. My mind screams at me, but I ignore it as I walk to the edge of my protective bubble. My eyes close and I hesitate. I need to know what really happens when exposed to sunlight. Hell, it could be a downright lie for all I know. I slowly extend my arm into the light.

My finger tips tingle slightly, then a slow burn travels up my forearm. I pull my arm back, clutching it against my chest, but the pain intensifies. I stumble into the house, slamming the door shut. I’m cooking from the inside out. My entire arm is affected now. I grab my shoulder in a futile attempt to stop the progression.

I fall to the floor, cursing myself for my stupidity. I lay spread eagle, sinking into the plush carpeting. The burn doesn’t spread any further than my arm and it slowly goes numb. Am I dying? Will my arm fall off? Serves me right for attempting something so asinine!

Within minutes, the pain disappears; the numbness and tingling gone. Caleb would tear me a new one if he knew about this. Well, now I know the truth and for the first time since my transformation, I am genuinely afraid. I will never make that mistake again.

Reviews

[EurasianFlavour]

I liked this chapter. It was more focused instead of bouncing from one thing of the next like the last one.

[Kate Whitaker]

So baby vamp can feed on demand now, good for him. But something tells me it's not gonna be that easy

[easybreezy]

And he finally got his much needed reality check when it comes to sunlight. Ouch! :)

[Kate Whitaker]

yeah, sunlight and vampires... the memory thing was pretty cool too. Edie and Damien need to compare notes ;D

[easybreezy]

Maybe Edie could keep him in line better than Caleb can, although it's Damien's own mind that is his crutch. I don't think any one could help him. (Mini spoiler) LOL

[Kate Whitaker]

lol, d****t, I was laughing at how great minds think alike. Edie has a similar mental ability... so... umm... spoilers...

And I dunno about keepin Damien in line. Edie doesn't handle vampires that LIKE to kill very well. Miguel would have much to say on the matter too... and he's likely say it with his ax.

[easybreezy]

I wouldn't say he likes it so much as accepts it. And he hasn't killed anyone in like...two days! Give the guy a break! Ha Ha!

[Kate Whitaker]

See, I write about vampire hunters, we kill the damn blood suckers!

Although I'm seeing a fun cross over at some point

[EurasianFlavour]

I am just jumping in to say I would be the first to read this cross over lol