The Curse

Chapter Six- JJ

"So, my name is Jephudach!" she says, smiling and showing her fangs.
"Uh, mine is—" I start.
"Nobara, I know!" she inturrupts.
I stay silent, slightly irritated.
More and more trees surround us as we walk, and soon all I can hear are birds chirping and the sound of Jephudach's and my footsteps.
I feel sort of out of place.
I've got on a plain, slightly tattered black dress with no shoes, and she's wearing a gray sweater with jeans and brown leather boots.
You'd think she was the one that used to be human.
"So, you want me to tell you the whole story?" she asks.
"If you want—" I start.
"Gladly!" she cuts in.
She clears her throat.
"When your mom, Hebi, was young, she was always curious about the humans. She even felt bad for them. Actually, she thought about rising up against the HeadMaster, but no one else would join her. So, she got into a...let's say, fight with the HeadMaster, and afterwards, just to rub salt in the wound, she ran off and got married to a human without his consent."
"What? My mom did that?" I mumble, trying to imagine my mom as the rebel.
"Yep! So, after she got pregnant with the human, the HeadMaster found her taking a walk in the woods, and put the Vampire curse, otherwise known as The Curse, on her first born child. (That's you!) Your Mom pleaded with him to put it off 'till you were at least fourteen...she wanted you to enjoy your childhood, I guess. Apparently, he agreed. Tah-Dah!" she says, doing jazz-hands.
My eyes are wide.
After all these years, Mom failed to mention that's how she and Dad met?
Mom always said that Dad died in a car accident. Did she lie about that too...?
"So, like, your mom is really deceptive, I guess." she finishes, looking at her black-polished nails.
I am speechless.
"Well, thanks for sharing. How do you know all of this?" I manage to ask.
"Well, let's just say I have my sources," she mumbles. "Besides, everyone knows the basis of it."
"Besides me, until now," I say, slightly annoyed at my mother. "So, what's your backstory, then? I suppose not everyone knows it."
Jephudach turns and smiles at me, and a look of guilt and sadness flashes across her eyes. "Well, my dad...he's not really...there, you know? He never has time for me. And my mom...well, I don't really have one, or at least I don't know her. Dad just scooped me up from some past lover that didn't want to take care of me. In my free time, I hunt and draw pictures, that's it. And I don't really have...well, any friends. I know it just sounds like I'm whining, but it's true. They all just..." she sighs, tears welling up in her eyes.
She must've been holding this in for a while now, no one to share it with.
"...Leave?" I finish for her.
She looks up at me, and realizes I know how she feels more than she thinks.
"Exactly," she nods. "Thanks for listening, normally people...don't. Y'know, you're actually kinda fun."
She sighs, and then looks at the ground.
"I'm not too good at this friend thing either, but...to be honest, it surprises me that no one wants to be your friend." I say, smiling, though I'm feeling quite awkward inside.
She smiles, her expression of sadness hidden once again, and winks at me.
"You really are something, Bara!" she laughs, holding my hand.
My eyes widen.
Did I...just make a friend...?
I laugh and we walk on.

She starts a fire and pulls out some marshmallows from her bag.
"We can camp here until morning." Jephudach says.
"Sure...right. I'm still not used to the morning being vampire bedtime." I say, slightly confused.
"Considering vampires' regeneration and healing abilities, we don't need much sleep," Jephudach explains. "It's good to sleep for a few hours in the morning, but we get up in the afternoon...or even late morning, sometimes, to hunt."
I nod with a sigh, wishing I could go back to the simple realities of human life.

     We roast marshmallows, play Truth-Or-Dare, and tell scary stories.
It's 10:00 A.M. when Jephudach wants to start walking again.
"Ah! Here we are!" she says, pointing.
I see a playground where human kids are playing, just outside of the forest.
I didn't really realize we had left the village until now, or at least that we were this far from it.
"Uh...where is here?" I ask.
"Um, duh! We're hunting?" Jephudach smiles, a fierce focus in her eyes.
"I thought you meant, I don't know, hunting hunting," I reply, nervously. "Like...animals, or something."
I may like this girl, but...I almost forgot.
She is a vampire, always has been.
She sees no fault in killing humans.
She may have even been my enemy if I wasn't a vampire myself.
"Come on! Just lean in closer and take their scents in. You'll get the hang of it, I'll help you!" she chirps.
"I am not—!" I start, but I am caught off guard when she grabs my arm tightly and tugs me toward the little playground.
A wave of warm delight washes over me when I take in their smells.
"Don't they just smell delightful?" she says, getting excited. "Ooh, I get to see you drain your first human! Or, at least, drain your first human willingly."
I pause, sweat beading up on my forehead.
No, I'm not doing this...I can't do this.
I'm leaving.
Don't hold back, remember? I hear a voice in my head say.
Wait...the voice...it sounds like...
Yes, it's me, Jephudach! I have telepathic powers. Now, look! The child is wandering closer.
You...you said exactly what the HeadMaster said to me. No. I am not doing this.
But then the child skins his knee.
For a minute, everything is a blur as I stalk closer and closer.
I am doing it. I am hunting.
"S...stop!" I choke out loud to myself, fighting back.
But it's no use.
Alright, do it quickly. Children witnesses are easy because no one will believe them if you get rid of the evidence. You go, girl!
I find myself taking Jephudach's advice whether I want to or not.
All I remember clearly is seeing my target...and pouncing.                                                                                                                                                                                            

I wake up feeling happy and the most satisfied I've ever been.
"You're awake, good!" I hear Jephudach say. "You are totally a natural at hunting! You did so good!"
"What? What did I do? I...feel so...warm." I mutter, rubbing my eyes.
"You don't remember? You drained that kid, and then we raided a small house! Then I traded all my Iris with this rogue vampire for this flying-potion. It may be a hoax, but he sure was convincing, and I'm on top of the world right now!" she laughs, swinging her arms up in a carefree motion.
"Amazing...!" I giggle, feeling like I'm floating.
"I told you you'd love it." she smiles and sits next to me.
She pauses.
"Nobara?" she inquires.
"Yes?"
"Just to let you know...I won't leave like the rest. I'm here 'till the end, girl." she smiles, hugging me.
I smile, but once again, I think I see a hint of guilt and sadness in her deep, goldish-red eyes. She has been through so much, maybe even more than me.
She's strong.
"Same here, JJ!" I laugh, winking, and hugging her back. "Till the end."
I'm surprised that I actually mean it.
I could call her my best friend right now and I wouldn't regret it.
She has shown me how strong I can be.
She's exposed me to feelings I've never felt before.
She has made me realize who I truly am.
A vampire.
"...Let's hunt again next week," I say, giggling. "Now try the potion!"
"Bottoms up!" she says, standing up and drinking it.
Something inside me—maybe the human side of me, if there is any left—whispers,
That's not safe. Be cautious.
But I don't care anymore. Right now I feel like nothing could go wrong.
I laugh as she gulps it down.
"Try jumping to see if it works!" I say, standing up next to her.
"I don't feel different," she says, smiling. "Just...tired, all of a sudden."
She walks towards me, but stumbles.
She vomits, and then falls into my arms.
"B...Bara...help." she mumbles.
My happiness turns into shock as she stops breathing, snapping me out of the trance I was in.
"Jephudach...? Jephudach!?" I scream, and my voice chokes.
I lay her down and try to bring her back with anything, anything.
I try to get the potion out of her body by pounding her back, doing the Heimlich Maneuver.
I give her CPR.
I feed her herbs.
And then I crouch there, crying over her dead body, and reality sinks in.
"Poison...it must've been poison..." I whimper.
I start running home, eyes closed, unaware of what to do. I'm crying.
Not just because of what happened to Jephudach, but also because of blurry memories coming back to me from my hunt with her.
I...lost control.