Alive Again (A Vampire Eddie Fic)

Chapter 3

 Eddie laid on his bed in the trailer, half-listening to the silence outside. He didn't like how quiet it was. Sure, that meant there were no monsters right outside his door, but it also gave him a looming sense of dread like it was in hiding, becoming stronger in the shadows.

He was also hungry. Really hungry. After all, there was no food here. It was all either missing or rotten. How long had he been in the Upside Down for? How long had he been procrastinating returning to his world? He didn't know, and if it weren't for the threat of starvation, he didn't care.

In all honesty though, it wasn't normal food he was craving. He wasn't sure what it was, but he needed it now, and he needed it fighting for its life in his hands. He didn't connect the dots, however. Not until he finally heard a rustle in the bushes outside his window.

It was the same creature he had heard before, Eddie assumed, so he got his ass out of bed and went to investigate. He cautiously peeked out of the trailer door and looked to where he had heard the noise.

Sure enough, a small demidog that was weakened by the fight with Vecna was absentmindedly searching for its next meal. A small bug or two from Eddie's world, maybe, but it wouldn't get the pleasure of having a last meal.

Eddie suddenly realized he'd stepped outside and bent down to a feral stance. All he wanted was that twisted, gruesome creature in his mouth, blood spilling onto his tongue.

He shook his head violently, trying to get the thought out of his mind.

"No!" Eddie shouted to himself, falling back to sit on the ground. "No, no fucking way I'm eating that thing! That's disgusting! I'd probably get sick or something anyway, I don't know! Salmonella maybe? Either way, no way! No fucking chance! I'm not a fucking-" Eddie paused at what he was about to say. Not a monster? A human? He brought a hand up to his mouth to feel the large pointed teeth that had appeared. His fangs.

He was different now. He changed. Eddie finally realized what that meant.

He looked back at the helpless creature in the bush, seemingly not taken notice of Eddie at all. He couldn't fight this instinct anymore, as much as he hated it. It burned through his brain, body, muscles, and very being. It was as if his very soul was being branded by red-hot iron, pressing into everything including his thoughts.

With a shudder, Eddie went back to the hunting position he naturally assumed. He glared at the demidog and dashed. The poor thing could barely react before being in Eddie's grasp. The texture of the thing was slimy and wet. Eddie almost gagged, but couldn't stop himself from biting into it nonetheless. As its liquid splashed into his mouth, his eyes widened. It was amazing. The best thing he'd ever tasted. It was natural and raw, filled with pure nutrients and easy to consume. He took gulps at a time, taking it all in and not feeling guilty about who saw or who judged him. He didn't care.

Of course, with a creature so small, there was only so much for Eddie to eat. Once the demidog was sucked dry, Eddie dropped it to the ground and looked at his bloodied hands, realizing what he had just done.

He really was a vampire. Plain and simple. There was no other way to explain what was happening.

Eddie heard another rustle in the bushes and he turned around, expecting another small demidog or another monster to feast on. Instead, he was met with a blinding light and a voice.

"Eddie...?"

He realized it was a person with a flashlight. But not just any person. Eddie's eyes started to fill with tears.

"Henderson?"