Midnight and Terra: A Turned Story

203 Years: Give Back

I woke up gasping, memories flooding back. So much death, so much horror, but so much of that feeling... I shivered. It had just been a dream. I had slept, for the first time in a couple hundred years. Birch thought cleaning out my blood might help. Ever since that first time, almost a hundred years ago- We'd had to move around a lot, and Birch had tried all sorts of things. Only letting me feed when absolutely necessary. Letting me feed as much as I want. It would all be going fine, and then after a few years, I'd just snap and kill someone. Once, I even managed 11 years without death.

"Terra?" Birch was at my side, a hand on my upper back.

"I'm fine." I waved him away, getting up. I hadn't fed before sleeping, and I was starving.

"I just need some blood." I drifted up from the ground, into the air. Birch followed carefully, keeping an eye on me as if I might go killer any second. He wouldn't tell me how old he is, but he'd only started flying recently. Me too, but I was developing lot's of random skills before my age. I could fly, move thing with my mind, sense people's, and Vampire's emotions, and heal - humans and Vampires both - not to mention my ability to move faster than most Vampires. Oh, and I could also compel humans to believe what I wanted them to believe, or do what I want or just forget something that happened. Birch had used that skill to try a new technique, where we drank from random people and then healed them and made them forget. He thought not having a constant source might make it easier for me, and for a time, it was, because I was preoccupied with all the little jobs I had to do, and using my powers. They were... thrilling.

"There." Birch suggested, pointing out a couple walking in the country side.

"Don't freak out." I compelled, landing in front of them. I held her by the shoulders and put my lips to her neck, ripping through the skin to the blood I needed. The blood... but that wasn't all I wanted - Birch would stop me if I tried too - I just kept drinking and drinking, past being full, trying to drink her dry-

"Terra!" Birch pulled me away. I lunged back at her but he grabbed me, holding me back. The boy stood motionless, staring at his girl, who'd collapsed. Grief and horror swept through me. I'd... I'd done it again. Lost myself. Why did it keep happening? I hated hurting people, to begin with I hadn't even liked drinking from them and now I was a monster who killed for fun. And liked it. I collapsed into Birch, in tears.

"Terra, Terra you need to heal her." Birch said urgently. I looked at the girl through the blurring in my eyes. If I left her, she'd die. And I'd feel that feeling again, like when your heart skips a beat and... But she'd be dead, and I wouldn't have saved her. Getting unsteadily to my feet, I took a few steps and knelt down beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. I let my infinite energy flow into her, feeling her heal and her blood being replenished.

"Neither of you remember this. You had a nice walk, it went perfectly. You won't remember specific details. Go home." I whispered, then I zipped away.

"Seven years. And technically you didn't kill her." Birch said when he found me. I was curled up in the undergrowth of a forest, a country over. I'd just been lying there for hours, not moving, not breathing, making it as hard as possible for him to find me.

"So many deaths. I killed so many people. It only seemed like one or two at the time, but it adds up." I whispered. He sat beside me.

"That's our curse, Terra. You feel it more strongly than others, but there are also gifts. I've never heard of anyone who could heal like you can. You've been given an opportunity to help people." Gently, Birch lifted me out of the cold moss and dead leaves onto his lap.

"Would it help if we moved?" He asked after a few minutes. I nodded.

"But not just yet." I curled into him.