Regrets

Everyone deals with the aftermath after Jesse attacks Amber in her home.

He heard her scream and slapped his hand across her mouth. He no longer wanted to stop. Her blood was the sweetest he’d ever tasted. She squirmed around knocking things over which awakened Ashley. When she realized what he was doing she didn’t scream she only stared at him with a look of surprise and disbelief. He was too caught up in the taste to care what she thought of him then. However, he heard footsteps and knew he had to act. He dragged; a struggling weakened Amber, toward the window. The bedroom door flew open as her father came inside. He could barely believe what he saw. He stopped for a second taking it all in before he came rushing at him. He couldn’t let her go just yet so he flew out the window with her.

 

            I hit the ground hard, but the man took most of the hit for me. The pain on my neck was excruciating as he dragged me toward the woods. Once inside he finally let go of my neck and I collapsed to the ground.

            “Please,” I screamed. “I don’t want to die.” I said sobbing.

            For some reason I could see that struck a chord with him because he backed away from me. “I’m sorry. I couldn't stop. I couldn’t stop.” He whispered and then ran away.

            I was in too much distress to give any thought to his words. The throbbing was too much and I just stared into the night sky. There weren’t many stars out tonight, but I found a little that I couldn’t take my eyes off of. I heard my father’s voice calling me. The sound felt like it was a mile away. My vision began to fade as the stars began to swirl around in my head and then they faded into the darkness.

           

            Ashley was struggling to understand what had just occurred. She was sleeping dreaming of him and her in an intimate embrace moments before it happened. She woke to his beautiful face buried onto her sister’s neck. She saw the terror in Amber’s eye, the horror, the pain, and all she could think of in the moment was why her. Then as he jumped through their bedroom window she rose from her bed as her father bolted out the room and downstairs. She wanted to go to him, to beg him to take her instead.

            Ashley ran down the stairs toward the opened front door. She almost made it outside when her mother grabbed her arm.

            “Ashley, no, wait for your father,” her mother managed to say with a mix of terror and sadness. “The police are on the way. I don’t want you out there.”

            Ashley didn’t care about that she wanted to find him. She pulled her arm free from her mother and sprinted across the grass barefoot completely forgetting she was still wearing her night gown. She went in the direction she last saw her father dart down.

            Ashley didn’t know how to feel when she approached the scene. She saw her father shirtless holding his white t-shirt closely to Amber’s neck. Amber looked lifeless, like an angel, Ashley thought. Ashley stood unable to move her father’s cry was almost more than she could bear. Finally, she heard the sirens, at first faraway then getting closer. Her father perked up when he heard the noise.

            “It’s going to be okay, baby,” he said to Amber’s unconscious frame. He looked up at Ashley’s frozen body. “Go, show them the way back here. I can’t move her.”

            Ashley just ran back the way she came reaching the house just as the ambulance did. She anxiously waved her arms side to side. The ambulance stopped and two men rushed out the doors. Ashley didn’t ask nor check to see if they were following her. She just took off back to her father. The paramedics were right behind her carrying a stretcher. One paramedic went around to Amber’s side he picked up her wrist to check for a pulse.

            “Faint pulse,” he said to the other guy who was already getting bandages ready. They removed her father’s shirt which was soaked in blood and placed the bandages securely on. After that they each put her on the stretcher and carefully, but quickly led her out of the woods and into the ambulance.

            “Martha,” her father yelled to her mother. “Ride with her, I’ll get the kids ready.”

            “We’re taking her to Mount Hope,” The ambulance driver said before jumping into the ambulance and blasting the siren. Her mother barely made it inside before he started barreling down the dirt hill.

            “Go get ready,” her father told her while rushing inside. “And wake your brother-tell him to get ready.”

            Ashley did as she was told. She and a very tired and confused Max were down the stairs in less than five minutes. Max slipped on his shoes even though he still wore his transformer pajamas. Ashley slipped on a red dress mostly because she hoped to see him again. Their father ushered them into the van and began speeding down the dirt road. He cut into traffic slowly and began speeding on the highway. He was silent the entire trip. Ashley had never seen him so vulnerable. They arrived to the hospital in ten minutes. They found her mother in no time waiting in the emergency room.

            “They rushed her into surgery,” her mother said weeping into her father’s arms as Ashley and Max found a seat.

            They all took a sit for a moment. It didn’t last though her mother continually cried as her father paced the room. He tried to get new information out of the secretary every five minutes.

            The police arrived to the hospital shortly after Ashley and her father did. The police originally came to the cabin when the ambulance arrived, but her father refused to talk to them until he got to the hospital. A man who appeared to be in his late forties to early fifties approached Ashley’s father.

            “Mr. Lewis, My name is Detective Morlutt; could you please tell me what happened?” Detective Morlutt’s voice was surprisingly gentle considering he looked like a man who meant business.

            Ashley’s father shakily stood up to meet the detective’s eye. “Martha and I were asleep when we heard a scream. Our eyes both opened, but then there was noise. Then …,” her father’s voice fell low as her mother’s cries grew. “Then we heard noises like something being smashed. I ran to their room and I saw blood on her neck and his mouth on her. I ran towards him and he jumped out the window.” Her father turned around more in a fit of anger than despair. “I ran outside after him and I found Amber alone, unconscious. I took my shirt off and placed it on her neck to slow the bleeding. I never really saw the b*****d.”

            “You said their room.” Detective Morlutt said checking his notes which he had been writing in the entire time her father spoke.

            Instead of her father responding, Ashley’s mother Martha spoke up through sobs. “Ashley and Amber share a room.”

            Detective Morlutt scribbled in his notes. “Are you Ashley,” he said looking right at her. “Oh my yes you are,” he remarked noticing their resemblance. “Can you tell me what happened?”

            “It’s okay,” her father said rubbing her shoulder.

            Ashley swallowed hard. She wanted to say just enough to match Amber’s story, but not enough to reveal her connection to him, the vampire, Jesse. “I kept hearing noises too, so I opened my eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was real or if I was having a nightmare. I saw Amber was terrified though, but then I was too afraid to do anything. I called her name and he gave me a strange look and said your Ashley then, not her. Then dad burst in and you know the rest.” Ashley lied about the end part because she wanted attention.

             “Did you get a good luck at him?”

            “No,” she said shaking her head. “It was dark and I was still sleepy,” Ashley lied again. They would have to drag her to hell and back before she ever told them about him.

            Detective Morlutt scribbled in his notes some more. He seemed to be agitated about something. “Mr. Lewis, can I talk to you in private please,” he asked angling his body toward a corner in the room.

            “Detective, you can say anything in front of us.”

            Detective Morlutt seemed uneasy, but proceeded with what he planned on saying in private. “I feel that there could be a chance that the attacker might go after Ashley.”

            Martha began another bout of crying while jumping up to hold onto Ashley for dear life. Max surprisingly gave Ashley a tight hug too.

            “We’ll post a patrol car to follow you.” Detective Morlutt said and gave a nod and walked away.

             After what felt like hours a doctor emerged from the other side of the doors and stopped at the secretary’s station. They all stared at him to see if he was the one with Amber.

            “Mrs. Lewis,” the doctor said looking in their direction.

            “Yes,” her mother responded and walked up to the man with their father by her side. Ashley decided to walk up a moment later catching the end of the conversation.

            “… She was lucky he missed the artery. We had to do a blood transfusion, but for right now she is stable. We are moving her into a room now. You can follow me back.” The doctor said and began to walk through the double doors. Her parents followed right behind him and Ashley tried to follow, but her father told her to stay with Max.

           

            Jesse had waited outside the hospital door listening to every word he heard about Amber. He had followed the ambulance all the way to the hospital. He needed to know if she was alright. He tried so hard not to bite the artery so she wouldn’t bleed out. He wondered why he cared so much when he never has before. He entered the doorway of his father’s eight bedroom and seven bathroom mansion. His family lived in luxury unlike most of his vampire counterparts. The luxury came from his father being named one of the vampire leaders.

            The mansion was always full of vampire men, women, and children. This was not unusual especially on a Friday night. His father was always conducting business anytime he could to keep busy. The corridor was huge and round with an arrangement of flowers all around, his mother’s doing. Two sets of staircases on either side of the hall led upstairs. Jesse was too tired to communicate with anyone so he just went straight into the family room across the hall. The vampires nodded at him as he past them. Their act of being nice was only a rouse and he knew it. The vampires knew that either he or his brother Drake would be next in line to be leader, so they began sucking up early.

            As soon as he pushed past the white double doors into the family room he immediately wanted to retreat. Only because at six feet tall and  standing across the room from him was his brother, Drake. Drake was the prodigal son in their father’s eyes because he meddles in their politics and was pure muscle.

            “Jesse,” Drake said amused with his dark blue eyes.

            “Drake,” Jesse said uninterested in talking to him.

            “Brother, where have you been? Father has been in meetings all day.”

            “What does that have to do with me?” Jesse asked staring at a painting of flowers above the fire place at the end of the room. His mother was obsessed with flowers.

            “Whoa. Why so defensive? Just wondering where you’ve been.” Drake responded causing Jesse to turn to away from him.

            “I was out,” Jesse said walking in front of the door to leave.

            “That was obvious, but I asked where. Is it a secret?” Drake asked clutching Jesse’s shoulder. “Is it a girl?” Jesse yanked his arm back and pushed Drake. He was definitely not going to tell his meddling brother anything. “So it is a girl.” Drake said laughing.

            “Back off,” Jesse said only it just amused Drake more.

            “What’s her name?” Drake asked since he was getting under Jesse’s skin.

            “You will not touch her,” Jesse said and his anger boiled over. He grabbed Drake with both hands and while he only meant to push him lightly. Drake literally flew through the double doors, down the corridor, and right into the front door leaving a huge dent. All the vampires turned to look at Jesse in the room with looks of awe and shock with fear. Drake was back up on his feet to face Jesse in seconds just as Jesse was getting ready to depart.

            “You’re stronger,” Drake said with his golden locks hair out of place.

            “Get out of my way,” Jesse said as everyone stared at them to see what would happen next.

            “Or what, you’ll make me,” Drake remarked showing no sign of moving.

            Jesse could tell that Drake was upset. He took matters into his own hand and just dashed out the door so he wouldn’t have another confrontation with his brother. Drake waited for a moment, he felt stares on him and rushed out to follow his brother. Jesse wandered down streets with no feeling of taking any precise direction. He tried to shake her out of his mind. He never cared about anyone as much as he cared about her. Over the years his family had dined on the occasional human and he would see their fear, hear their cries, and it didn’t affect him. He saw Ashley as a toy for him to play with and she let him dine on her that’s the only reason he kept coming back. He couldn’t quite understand what it was about Amber that willed him to bite her, to even let her go. It was as if she had a hold of him and no matter how hard he tried to break free, he couldn’t.

            He was too busy thinking that he didn’t realize that he had come to Memorial Hospital. He wasn’t sure if he shouldn’t, but at the same time he couldn’t force himself to leave now that he was there. He stared up at the big building trying to listen to find out exactly which room she was located in. He cleared his mind so that he could hear everything inside the building. He could hear it all too; the vents, the insects and everything from televisions to conversations. It only took him a few seconds to hear a nurse mention she was in room 307. He smiled and went inside the building. The patients outside or the hospital staff inside didn’t notice him as he passed them by with his swiftness. He reached her room in a mere minute.

            Jesse waited patiently until her family left the room to go have breakfast at the cafeteria. He entered the room even though he was unsure of what to expect. He was happy that she didn’t have to share a room with another person. He could see the monitors hooked to her arms as well as the IV drop. He settled his focus in on her as she lay there peacefully. A bandage covered the left side of her shoulder where he bit her. Her hair lay off to the side and even now he couldn’t help, but to think that she looked beautiful. He went to her left side and pulled her hair around so that it covered the bandage on her.

            “I’m sorry”, he leaned down and whispered into her ear.

            At that moment he noticed that someone was heading for her door. He thought for a moment to flee as the door opened. He knew if he did they would not have known he was there at all. He knew who it was though he’d recognize her steps and breathing patterns anywhere.

            “Jesse”, Ashley stated, stunned that he stood before her even though she half expected him to make an appearance.

            Outside Drake smiled because he had been trying to locate him since he saw Jesse vanish around the hospital.

            “I’ve missed you.” She said as she walked up to him to give him a hug. He stepped away from her. “I’m not mad at you.”

            “I can see that,” Jesse replied, staring at her confused as to why not. Was there anything he could do to make her go?

            “Why did you do it?” She asked getting irritated that he wouldn’t let her near him.

            Jesse just stared off at Amber as she lay asleep oblivious to all that was around her.

            “Jesse, I know I can give you what you desire, not her.” Ashley remarked while she walked closer to Jesse backing him into the hospital door that was partially open. She tilted her head to the side exposing her bare neck to him. “Go ahead, I know you want to.” She knew her actions were verging on desperate, but she didn’t care. Right now she would do anything for him to look at her the way she saw him stare at Amber.

            Jesse gazed her neck for a moment contemplating on the juices that flowed in her veins. The weirdest thing was troubling him inside. Although the vampire inside wanted to bite her, he didn’t. Instead he just used his speed to disappear out the door. Ashley tried to follow him, but by the time she got in the hallway all she was a corridor with a few nurses wandering around.

 

            Outside Drake was already on the move back home. His brother was drinking from a human that was obviously in love with him. Drake loved the information that he was going to feed to their father. He wore a grin on his face. He knew a union between a vampire and a human was forbidden. Humans were weak and vampires were not to associate with them unless on an as needed basis. Vampire and human relationships were thought of as disgusting. For a vampire and human to be together there would be major repercussions.

            Drake arrived to his father’s mansion and he smiled as he walked up the front steps. He knew that one day his father’s entire empire would soon be his. He just had to get rid of his goody two shoes brother, Jesse. To him, Jesse was the prodigal son. He was the one his father always desired. Drake showed up to every meeting at his father’s side and their father would always wonder where Jesse was. Drake felt he always had to prove himself while Jesse never did anything for their father’s love.

            He entered the household which was more packed now that it was nearing toward nighttime. Vampires liked to get together and show off their true selves during parties his father loved to throw even though he never participated in them.

            “Jeanine, looking good,” Drake said walking past a vampire in a Gothic outfit. She nodded baring her large teeth at him. Drake continued walking and people went out of their way to make a path for him to get through.

            “Drake baby, let’s party,” a vampire woman yelled from across the room. She wore a skimpy red dress Drake approved of.

            “Not tonight, love.” Drake smiled to her and ascended the stairs. His only concern was outing Jesse to their father.

            Drake walked down the long corridor. The house certainly didn’t look like the stereotypical vampire house. The colors were bright and the place was full of windows letting the sun shine through. Finally after turning left down into another hallways Drake settled by the second door. He nearly walked in and decided against it and held up his hand to knock. His hand didn’t get the chance to meet the door before his father spoke.

            “Come in, Drake.” Drake shook his head because he should’ve known his father would know if someone approached the door.

            He twisted the knob and found his father sitting at his desk. He was the splitting image of Jesse with his dark brown hair and eyes. He sat in a black leather chair that themed the entire room with the cherry wood walls and black leather sofa opposite the desk.

            “I followed Jesse after he left.”

            “You followed your brother,” His father asked and began to write in a vanilla folder.

            Drake ignored the fact that he was only half listening. “He went to the hospital,” Drake said walking forward and shutting the door behind him. He reached his father’s desk and stopped. “I overheard him having an intimate conversation with a human.”

            Drake now had his father’s attention because he abruptly looked up at him. He used his speed and stood to meet Drake face to face. His father always wore a simple black suit because that’s all he wore every single day.

            “Tell me everything,” his father stated with gleaming interest.

            Drake told him the whole story about what had happened. His father sat back in his seat and looked down. “We’ll wait until your brother get’s home and talk to him.”

            “Talk, I heard…,” Drake began to protest.

            "I said we’ll wait,” his father interrupted.

            Drake nodded and left the room. He knew not to test his father. He was furious that even now his father still regarded Jesse in the highest honor.

Author's Note

I must say I wrote this in Microsoft word which my chapters are 20 to 30 pages long, so I'm shortening them up for this website. This is basically Chapter 1 pt 2