Don't Forget To Remember Me

Never Forget

“Come on, you idiot,” Laura grumbled quietly.  “Wake up, already.”

Carmilla made no movements and there was minimal indication she was alive, which added to Laura’s worry.

Their friends all gathered around Laura, watching her with sympathy.

Carmilla suddenly bolted up and stared around her in confusion.  Laura squealed and wrapped her arms around her.  “Oh, thank god,” she sobbed.

Carmilla cautiously hugged the girl back, her eyebrows still furrowed.  Everyone in the room seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Welcome back,” Danny offered with a smile.

“Ain’t nothing can keep Carm-sexy down!” Kirsch hollered.  He pumped his fist for emphasis.

Carmilla scanned the room slowly.  Laura eventually pulled away.

“Not that I’m unhappy to be waking up here,” Carmilla said, confused.  “But why am I waking up here?”

Laura was beaming at Carmilla.  “Well, after you passed out in the Lustig building,” she began excitedly.  “I was crying on top of you.  It wasn’t pretty.  There was, like, tears, and snot, and a lot of hyperventilating––”

“––Hollis…” LaFontaine pressed, raising an eyebrow.

“––and I’m rambling.  Sorry.  But after everyone got me to slow my breathing down, I realized I could hear it.”

“Hear what?”

Laura grinned and grabbed one of Carmilla’s hands and put it on her chest.

Carmilla’s eyes widened.

“My heart… it’s beating,” Carmilla gasped quietly.  Her heart would beat once or twice, on occasion, either out of vague muscle memory or because of something Laura did.  But in this moment, it maintained a regular rhythm.

Laura nodded enthusiastically.  “Laf ran tests and your blood chemistry has changed.”

LaFontaine cleared their throat.  “You’re not completely human,” they explained.  “But you’re more human than vampire, now.”

“Welcome to the More Human Than Vampire Club!” Kirsch exclaimed with another fist pump.

“Thanks for offering yourself up for us,” Danny said with a smile.  There was a chorus of agreements from the others.

Carmilla still sat there with her mouth open, her hand remaining on her chest.

“We think that because Laura managed to kill the witch in the middle of the ritual, she stopped her from draining all of your life-slash-immortality away,” Perry explained.

Danny nodded.  “It’s the most probable explanation, according to the spell books you guys found.”

“We can try to run more tests and see if we can extrapolate how much more mortal–– or less immortal–– you are now,” LaFontaine commented.  “But from the tests I’ve already run, you’re a lot closer to a human life span than you were before.”

Laura kissed Carmilla’s cheek.  “I know it’s not ideal, but at least you’re not dead––”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Carmilla interrupted, removing her hand from her chest and grabbing Laura’s hands in hers.  “Now you don’t have to worry about turning into a vampire.  And it’s not exactly like I loved being one, anyway.  There was just nothing else for me to be… until now.”

Carmilla pulled Laura into a kiss, one that she never wanted to end until––

“Wow, Carm, your tummy really wants to tell us it’s hungry,” Laura laughed, her lips still pressed against Carmilla’s.

Carmilla frowned down at her growling stomach, as if it betrayed her.  “Hmm.”

“What?”

 “I wonder if I can also survive off sweets and pizza like you do.”  Carmilla grinned. 

Laura giggled.  “Only one way for us to find out,” she said, rising off the couch.

The light caught Laura in a certain way and for a second, it looked like she was glowing, and Carmilla cherished the feeling of her heartbeat quickening at the sight.

It was something she was sure she would never forget.