Cursed Blood | Chaelisa

Chapter 25.

After the Biology period was over, I saw Joy and Jisoo walking up the corridor. I tried to wave at them, but I felt too exhausted, they might have sensed something wrong with me, because both of my best friends hurried to my side.

"Chaeng, are you okay?" Joy came to hold my hand. "You look pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said and pulled away. "I just-" and before I could say anything else, my knees buckled. I would have fallen on the floor if Joy hadn't caught me.

"Oh no, I don't think so."

"Let's take her to our room," Jisoo suggested, and they grabbed me away before I could protest. They must have thought it better than to send me to the school clinic. They brought me to the mansion suite. Along the hallway, I tried not to breathe in the scent of blood beneath their skins. Now, the hunger was testing my limits. I knew the predator instinct would take over if I lost myself even for a second.

We entered the room and shut the door, but I slipped from Joy's hands and landed on my knees. I held my breath and the world began to spin. I wasn't just hungry, I was starving, every part of my body was running frighteningly cold, and the urge to warm myself with blood was too overwhelming.

"Chaeyoung!" They both screamed at exactly the same time.

"Don't touch me," I spoke, holding myself up on the floor.

"But you're not looking good!" Jisoo said, kneeling closer to me though she was also hesitant to make any move. The temptation of blood fever had come so unexpectedly that I felt like crying.

"Get out of here," I winced and panted, my fingernails dug into the carpeted floor.

"We can't leave you like that!" Joy protested in a shaky voice.

"Please, go!" I insisted. My canine teeth were extending half-way inside my mouth. I couldn't speak more without letting the fangs flash out from my throbbing jaw. Jennie, she must have been through the same state, too disoriented and too weak to resist.

"Tell me what we can do to help," Joy said pleadingly. I hissed loudly, scratching the floor harder.

"Stay," I said through my clenched teeth. "Away."

I was losing it, and my best friends wouldn't go anywhere. Maybe I would have to throw myself out the window if push comes to shove, but suddenly I had a feeling that she was here. I didn't know how or why I knew that, but I just blurted her name, "Lisa... she's here."

"I'll go get her," Jisoo said immediately. After Jisoo shot out of the room, I heard her bellowed down the hall, "LISAAAA!!!"

Joy kept staring at me. I saw nothing but concern over her face.

"Joy," I said in a scratchy tone, "Why don't you go?"

"I won't leave you," she said firmly.

"I'm hungry," I told her, and that might be the lamest thing to say.

"I know,"

"You know when I'm hungry, I'm dangerous," I stated again.

"I do," Joy said, "and I understand."

"No, you don't," I pushed myself up into a sitting position.

I could feel her moving towards me with cat-like grace, slowly and beautifully. I backed away, hugging my knees tighter like I was locking myself until my back was against the legs of the bed. Then I couldn't hold it off anymore. With a fast motion, I took Joy off guard and landed on top of her. My legs straddled her stomach as I pinned her hands to her sides. The hungry growls seemed to vibrate from the pit of my stomach. Joy gasped, but she stayed put as her startled eyes gazed into my aggressive ones. Our faces were extremely close.

"Chaeyoung..."

"I don't want to drink blood, you know," I said in a desperate voice. "but there is a part of me that wants to. The unquenchable thirst makes me feel less human. Right now, I can hear every beat of your heart; smell the intoxicating scent of your skin. The demons in me want to enslave me, I tried to suppress the urge, but it's still there like a curse!"

"You don't have to fight the demons," Joy said, "You own them. You live with them. They can't control you if you don't let them."

But I couldn't ignore her beating pulse, fully aware of my throbbing razor-edged teeth begging me to bite her, right in the throat where her vein promised worldly pleasure. My head slowly went down to the crook of Joy's slender neck. Her scent was getting sharper as my nose traced faintly over her smooth skin. Hot saliva flooded my mouth. I could feel her heartbeat against her chest. It made my mind twirl. I just wanted to bury my aching teeth in her vein, drinking her fresh youthful blood to my heart's content.

But Joy still didn't make any effort to stop me.

"We might be different in kind, but you're not just a vampire, you're also a human," Joy continued as she panted under me, "Vampires are strong, but humans never give up."

Joy might speak a million languages, but she also knows how to speak the right things. I felt the fangs retract back into my gum. The hunger in my stomach faded as soon as it appeared. And for the first time, I had control over the monster.

Sitting up again, I stared at Joy with wide eyes. She looked back at me, her face flushed with emotions.

"I did it," I said in a whisper.

Joy managed to elbow herself up, and we were sitting face to face. Then we both broke into a smile. I wrapped my arms around my best friend and we hugged each other in triumphant joy.

Suddenly, Lisa burst into the room. She looked paler with wary eyes. Jisoo caught up from behind, but she had trouble catching her breath by the door. Lisa simply forgot herself and rushed towards me at a blinding speed. Joy had to knock herself out of her way.

"What the...!" Joy yelped.

"I'm sorry," Lisa apologized before turning her face back to me. She stared deep into my eyes as if to see whether I was still there. "You're alright?"

With her beautiful eyes studying my face, I found myself saying something even more pathetic, "I was... just... hungry."

"You want some milk?" Lisa unzipped her black sack and handed me a carton of milk. But I shook my head.

"Well, I think I'm not hungry anymore."

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