Bite Shift

68

Where am I? It's dark and tight. I can't move. I start to panic. I'm in a coffin. I'm dead.

Then, it all came back to me in flashes. The parking garage. The trunk. The barn. Alex. The crate.

Will.

I didn't know what time it was. I didn't have a clock or my phone. It must be close to sundown if I was awake. If he wakes at the same time, how long until he is here?

"Alex?" I spoke softly. I was afraid to scare him. After a few minutes of silence, I yelled. "Alex!" There was no answer and no sounds of him even moving. I focused my hearing and could pick out his shallow breathing and heartbeat. It was so slow. But, he's still alive.

"Rhys?" No answer. I banged my arm onto the side of the crate. "Rhys!"

"Katie. I'm awake. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, for now. If we're awake then so is he. Any idea how long it will take him to get from there to here?"

"I don't know; 30 minutes maybe. Without seeing outside, I don't know where the sun is. He could still be asleep or he could be on his way."

"Do all of us wake up at the same time?" As soon as I said it, I knew it was a stupid question.

"No. It's different day to day for all of us. Just like humans, the weaker you are, the more you may sleep. The older ones, sometimes, don't sleep much at all."

"So, he could have woken up before us."

"Yes, but he is still limited by the sun. No matter when he awoke, he can't leave his home until sun down."

I sighed. "And, we have no clue when it is or was."

"Exactly." He sounded too much like he had given up and I didn't like it.

"Then, we need a plan and fast."

"I have lost a lot of blood but, you know, I will fight for you. But you have to fight, too, as hard as you can. He may come to you first."

I hadn't thought about that. What if he just pulls me out? If he keeps Alex tied and Rhys in the box, there may be no one to help me. "I'm too young, too new, Rhys. What can I do?"

"You may be young but you have already developed more powers then most have in their lifetimes. That must mean something. Can you try to reach Sorin again?"

"What's the point? I can't speak to him, just see him."

"It's worth a try."

"Okay."

I closed my eyes and started to count the seconds I drew in breath and let it out. I slowed it down; deepened the breaths. I tried to conjure up the image of him, the smell of him, the taste of him...anything to focus my mind on Sorin. I pictured the staircase as I walked through his front door. The house is so quiet. There is none of the usual music and crowd chatter. Just the ticking of clock hits my ears. I start to walk up the stairs. They seem so familiar to me now. I can feel the hard wood under my feet and hear the creak on the top step. I turn the corner to face the long hallway. I know that the first door on my right is Sorin's office but I know he is still in his bedroom. I take a step towards the place he is resting but stop. It feels wrong; faint and dreamlike. The scene starts to waver. It's as if the hallway is hot pavement on a summer's day. The wavy air in front of me looks like heat rolling up and away. The floor feels too close to quicksand. I can't move or I will sink. I try screaming in my head, "Sorin! Please! Come to me!" But, the lights in the hallway are gone. It's not the hallway, it's a box. It's a crate in a barn.

"I'm sorry, Rhys. I can't hold it. I'm too.... I don't know. I can't focus long enough. I'm so sorry."

"No. I'm sorry I asked. It's too much, too quickly."

There it is again. He sounds like he is giving up.

I waited in silence, thousands of questions flying through my brain. There was one that played on repeat. I had to ask.

"Rhys?" I knew I didn't want to hear the answer, but I asked any way. "Do you regret turning me? I wouldn't blame you if you did. You had a quiet life and now you're in a mess and probably dying tonight because of me."

"Kate." Oh, shit. He sounds serious. "Of all of the things I have done on this Earth, the thing I am most proud of is you."

I felt my eyes trying to cry. I was out of tears but the feeling was the same. The pain in my chest was an ache. I was expecting him to say something like 'Don't worry' or 'You're being crazy'. I never expected him to say the thing I always wished my parents had. It was almost too much. I had finally found my family and now we would die.

"Kate? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," but even to me it sounded weak.

"I don't regret turning you. I haven't, not even for a second. If this is it, I want you to know that."

I wasn't good at sharing my feelings but it felt like something I needed to do. "I don't regret choosing to stay, just so you know."

The sound of the barn door opening brought a wave of nausea over my body. I fought to inhale past the fear. "You may change your mind when I'm through with you, Kate."

I heard Will walk towards me and his gait sounded off. I thought he was limping and then realized he was dragging something. I heard a rapid heartbeat and whimpering. The muffled noises told me that someone was gagged or had something over their mouth. The smell was familiar and I prayed to whatever God that was listening that I was wrong about the origin of that smell. The sound of a slap made me jump.

"Sit there and stop that fucking mewling."

A loud crack erupted above me. The lid was pulled from its place. He hadn't needed a crowbar to pry he up, he had just ripped it off with his strength alone. His face hovered above me. He had the look of a boy who had gotten away with something particularly bad and he wanted to tell someone.

"I have a surprise for you."

I didn't lie how pleased he sounded. "I hope you kept the receipt." Maybe if I piss him off, he'll kill me quickly.

His face told me that I was not going along with his plan. "Stand up, schweine."

I didn't have to know German to know that he had just called me a pig. I didn't think a smart-ass retort was appropriate and decided to keep my mouth shut. I stood, facing the other crate, knowing Rhys was in there. I was shocked that a day in a box hadn't left me stiff or sore. Guess that's another vampire gift. Too bad I won't live long enough to enjoy.

I heard a sob behind me and turned. I had known who it was before I looked. Only one person I knew tried to cover the smell of cigarettes with Calvin Klein perfume. I grabbed each side of the crate to stop me from dropping to the ground when I saw her.

"Oh, Monica."