What Meets The Eye

Chapter Twelve: Just Once

Damian objected as he backed away from my offer to take my blood.

"No, really. Damian, listen to me. If you take my blood, you and Colton will both be equals. You have a shot at defeating and maybe even killing him," I said.

Damian studied me for a few seconds before finally giving in to my proposition. He knew that this was his only choice. "Just once," he finally said.

I nodded and held my wrist out for him to take from. He gently put his lips to my wrist and slowly sank his piercing teeth into my skin. The pain was unbearable, but I forced myself to deal with it.

He released his grip on my wrist and pulled his lips away. When he opened his eyes, they had just faded back from red to clear blue.

I gave him a small nod showing him I trusted him and that I believed in him.

Colton's body twitched and he slowly began to wake.

"Get out of here. Now," Damian instructed.

Colton was up and now guarding the broken down doorway. There was no way out of that door. I looked to my only other option: the window.

It was only five feet up on the wall, making it easy for me to reach. I punched the screen until it gave out and clattered to the ground one story below.

I pushed myself up to the window and hoisted my upper body out. I looked down and the ground stared back at me from twenty feet below. Crap. That's a far drop.

Damian cried out in pain from inside the bathroom. Something grabbed my legs, trying to pull me back inside.

"We're not done here, sweet heart," his thick British accent said.

I clung to the walls, desperate not to be torn back inside.

Something pushed Colton up against the wall beneath me and he let go of his grip on my legs. The sudden release surprised me, and I felt myself falling forwards.

My body slid out of the window and hurtled to the ground. The feeling was horrible. I could see the ground coming closer and closer to my face, and me coming closer to my death.

"Gwen!" a voice yelled desperately from the bathroom window.

It felt like I was falling in slow motionーso many thoughts were running through my head. Memories, nightmares, things I regret, things I regret not doingーthey all raced across my mind in the mere second or two. As my body became closer and closer to the ground I could feel peaceーat last. There was nothing left to say, nothing I could do.

I gave one last thought of everyone I loved, and had loved: My mom, my dad, my friends: Kiera, Jillian, Quinn, Jason, Damian...before everything went black.