Paradigm Shift

Transformed

* * *
Jasmine

I placed my hand over my heart as I sat by the window. I expected to feel it beating as it usually did but it was different, slower. I moved my fingers up to the side of my neck and pressed down. I couldn't find my pulse,. How can that be?. I stared out the window at the moon. It was so bright and I could see it like I was looking through a telescope. I could see the detail on the surface, the many craters and areas of light and dark. Seeing everything through these new eyes was like I had been seeing in black and white and now I was seeing in color. The difference was vast and stunning. Compared to vampires, humans were blind.

The door to my room opened, and Dr. Nyle entered. "Good evening."

I showed no emotion as he sat down in front of me. Everything was so loud and I just wanted everything to stop. I just wanted to be left alone.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Thirsty and overwhelmed" I answered honestly

My senses were all heightened and, as a result, my sight, hearing and smell were all amplified to where it was uncomfortable. It was too bright, too loud, too strong, too much.

"It is quite a shock at first" Dr. Nyle agreed. "It will feel strange for a while, but after a few days, your body will adjust and settle down."

And my moods. Well, let's just say I was a mess. I was angry one minute, then frustrated the next, then I felt numb for a few hours until I felt positively gleeful for absolutely no reason.

"It feels weird. Like my body doesn't belong to me anymore. I can't control it" I explained

Dr. Nyle nodded. "It's not unusual to feel that way."

My throat burned, and I wrapped my hands around it. I expected it to be warm, but it wasn't.

Dr. Nyle stood to his feet and quickly left the room. He was back in less than two minutes with a large drink container. He handed it to me and I drank from it greedily. The burn eased, and I felt better instantly.

I could feel my anger building again. "Why are you always so calm? Doesn't anything bother you?"

Dr. Nyle smiled. "I have always been a laid back character. Even before I was transformed"

"Yeah well it's annoying" I replied

"I called Roman, Seth and Dean to inform them you were awake" Dr. Nyle revealed. "They wanted to come and see you, but I told them to give you a few days to adjust."

I nodded. "Do you ever think of your parents?"

"Why do you ask that?" Dr. Nyle questioned.

"They think about you every single day" I continued, still angry

"How do you know that?" Dr. Nyle asked.

"I looked you up" I admitted, "and an article popped up"

"I decided it was better for them to remember me how I was than them to see me change into something else all together" Dr. Nyle explained

"Couldn't you at least write to them, let them know you are OK?" I suggested "Don't you think it's cruel, letting your parents worry about you like that!?"

"They would only try to find me" Dr. Nyle said

"YOU'RE MEAN AND SELFISH!!" I yelled. "You don't know how lucky you are!"

Dr. Nyle smiled at me sympathetically
"They are elderly and frail and I would not want to risk hurting them. Just one hug with my mother could end in disaster if I held her too tightly..."

My anger suddenly dispersed as now I felt sad

"I'm sorry for yelling" I said. "I don't know why I did that."

"Every human emotion is stronger now that you're a vampire" Dr. Nyle explained

I nodded as I thought about my own parents. "Do you think your parents would notice you weren't human anymore?"

Dr. Nyle nodded "Oh, definitely. To the average human, I might look normal, but parents know their children better than anyone else does"

I swallowed down the rest of my drink. "Why do I feel like I'm being pulled?"

"What do you mean?" Dr. Nyle asked

"Its hard to explain, but it's almost like an invisible rope has been tied around my waist and it is being pulled in a certain direction"

Dr. Nyle looked intrigued. "I think I know what that is, but it is too soon to be sure yet."

"So it's not a vampire thing, then?" I asked.

"No" Dr. Nyle answered

I thought about Dean, and whether he would act differently around me now. I was a vampire. "So. What happens now?"

"You spend the next few days adjusting" Dr. Nyle explained "and I will take care of you"

"Are you not busy with other patients?" I asked.

"I am, but they have assigned me as your caregiver for however long you are here for. I provide counselling and support to newborn vampires like yourself" Dr. Nyle explained "I created NAP (Newborn Adjustment Programme) which offers support to newborns while they adjust to their new lives"

"So am I part of the programme now?" I asked.

"No. You have to sign up to the programme first" Dr. Nyle replied.

It intrigued me. "What does the programme involve?"

"The programme involves help with blood management, strength training and mental health support and advice about controlling a power if a newborn receives one"

I nodded. The programme definitely sounded tempting, but I had assumed that Dean, Seth and Roman would help me and guide me through the newborn phase.

"I will leave you in peace" Dr.
Nyle said as he moved towards the door "If you need anything just press the red button by your bed"

I stood up and made my way towards my suitcase. I grabbed my toiletries, some fresh clothes and a towel and walked to the bathroom. I showered, changed my clothes and moved towards the mirror by the sink. I looked in the mirror and paused. I didn't recognize myself. My eyes were bright red. I examined my teeth, and they were normal looking apart from two sharp canines. My hair had fallen out, but now it was shiny, thick, and long. I had lost a lot of weight after my cancer diagnosis and my face had looked gaunt, but now it was smooth and flawless. I lifted my shirt up to look at the skin on my hips. It used to be marred with stretch marks, but now they were gone. So were all my moles and the freckles across my nose, the tiny scar just below my eyebrow, the birthmark on the back of my leg. It was like someone had airbrushed me, and it was weird. I should have been pleased to have flawless skin, but vampirism had stripped me of everything that made me unique. I left the bathroom and grabbed my phone from my bag. I sat back down by the window and a nurse came into my room to give me another bottle of blood. I imagined drinking blood to feel wrong, but every part of my body craved it. I expected it to taste metallic and bitter, but it tasted sweet and was more satisfying than anything else I'd ever tasted. I checked my social media and was amazed by the amount of notifications. I went onto WWE.com and caught up on what I had missed and, more importantly, how Stephanie had explained my absence. My character had left Chad after he failed to capture the NXT Championship and she had moved on to 'bigger and better things'. It probably explained all the notifications. Fans were no doubt trolling me over something I had no control over. I had worked my butt off to get to NXT and for what? To get given a lame character with a stupid name and to be written off TV in the dumbest way possible. I turned my phone back off and watched the stars twinkle against the black sky. If I could cry, I probably would have. I felt hollow, out of sorts, lost, helpless, and totally alienated.