Watching | Michael Jackson *HEAVILY EDITING* ✓

Chapter 14. Cynical

Tatiana's POV:

   After our findings yesterday, Michael and I have been doing research for hours trying to figure out any and all connections between the violent occurrences and vampire attacks. Michael explained to me that there are two types of vampire attacks: ones that turn and ones that kill. To turn someone (often a stranger), it's most commonly done from behind swiftly—a person might be walking and all of a sudden feel a sharp, sucking sensation against their neck for a brief moment before the feeling is gone and they turn around, finding no one there. Then, over the course of the next few hours, the person will turn into a vampire. If a vampire intends to kill, it often involves pinning the victim up against something long enough until all of the blood from their body is gone and the victim is dead. Alternatively, as was Michael's case, if a vampire knows the victim, they will visit the victim's home and attack in their place of residence away from prying eyes. These attacks are far more personal and not as swift as an attack against a stranger—they are meant to last longer and be more painful. Although I wasn't entirely sure whether or not it would be useful, I did my best to get as many novels on vampires and vampire lore from the nearest library to learn as much as possible on the "make-believe" concepts of vampires—some as far back as the 1600s. Michael and I went through them to determine what is actually real and what is fake—I was surprised to learn that it was quite divided. Michael's bedroom started to look more and more like a makeshift library with all of the notes and books we had strewn about on the floor, desk, and shelves. As I was laying down on the floor reading through one of the books, I gazed over at Michael to find him still very alert and very quickly reading through a book—superspeed also apparently applied to reading. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and suddenly found myself feeling the unbearable weight of sleep filling my mind until I couldn't fight any longer.

   I wake up, finding myself covered in two fuzzy blankets and a throw pillow under my head, the book I had been reading still open next to me. I realize that I must've passed out considering we had been up for hours researching as much as we could. When I glance around the bedroom, I find Michael passed out on the floor without a blanket or anything. I sit up, stretch, realizing how broken my back is from having slept on the floor, and crawl over to Michael. I look down at him and smile at how beautiful he looks even when fast asleep. I call his name as I try to gently shake him awake. After a few tries, Michael is unresponsive. My throat runs dry as I start calling his name louder and shaking him harder—still unresponsive.

"Michael?!" I yell as I aggressively shake him, my heart now pounding so hard that it feels like it's going to shoot out of my chest. Finally, Michael stirs, and my beating heart stills a bit.

"Oh my god, Michael, are you alright?!" I state worriedly as I prop his head into my lap and gaze down at him, moving his hair out of his face.

"What...what happened?" He asks groggily, looking around the room confused.

"I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't wake up. I...I thought you were dead," I cry, the realization that Michael could have been dead and the fact that I'd never get to hear his sweet voice or feel his warm arms around me again hitting me like a truck.

"Ugh, my head," Michael groans as he slowly sits up and places his hand on the back of his head. "I think someone knocked me out."

"Who the hell would do something like that?" I question worriedly, staring around the room. I realized that the bedroom window was open and the wind was blowing into the room, causing pages of the books to flutter around.

"Wait, where are my notes?" I ask as I gaze around the room, realizing that my document full of notes is missing. I swiftly stand up and scour the room, flipping through the pages on the desk that the document was originally on.