Mortal Thirst

Chapter Four

Aurora

I walked along the thin rocky path, towards the River of Styx. The path had many footprints embedded into it. Some prints very large and others the size of just toddlers, who had died much too soon.

The air was still but had the dry stench of death. Lost souls were wandering around; those were people who did not pay the Charon.

Soon I saw the Charon on his boat, waiting for me. One hand was holding his oar, while the other reached out to me.

Silently, I opened my mouth and took out the coin, and placed it in his palm. The Charon beckoned me, and I stepped into the boat.

The wood creaked and groaned as if it would break, and we began to move across the River of Styx. Lost souls watched in envy along the shoreline.

Too soon, I felt my bones disintegrate, and the tips of my fingers blew away with the wind like sand. I lost feeling of my arms and legs, as if they were disconnected to my body.

"What is happening?" I cried as I was lifted from the boat.

Now instead of smelling the stench of death, medicine filled my nose. Instead of floating freely in the air, I felt the cushions of a bed and warm blankets covering my body.

I desperately tried to grab onto rocks and dead trees but they disappeared in my grip, and I was pulled away from the Underworld.

***

I opened my crusty eyelids. I was so close to death, but because of that vampire's blood, my body returned to earth. I laughed hysterically, I am a vampire now, and I'm a monster...

My eyes scanned the large room I was in. It was an infirmary. The walls were painted a dull gray color, there were ten beds and each was occupied with an unconscious patient.

Sunlight shone through the windows and my eyes burned at the sight. I hadn't seen sunlight in 365 days. My body ached to go and run outside and take a deep lung full of fresh air.

I tried to sit up but it felt as if thousands of bricks were set on top of my body. Anytime, I tried to move my head immense pain shot from my neck to my shoulders.

Soon, I heard footsteps coming towards my bed and I looked up. A nurse stood by the side of my bed; she had bright blonde hair and deep blue eyes.

"Hello Ms. Mortem, I am Charlotte, your nurse," she said. I didn't respond. Voices sounded foreign to me after not hearing them for a year.

Charlotte smiled sympathetically at me.

"I know how you feel, sweetie. I was one of the Chosen too" She sighed as she recalled these memories.

"It was terrible, being taken away from your family and friends. I don't understand why we do it."

I listened silently as Charlotte talked, nodding every once and a while, to show I was listening.

"Okay, I should get the doctor so he can run some test. I'll be right back," she said, as she disappeared through the corridor.

It surprised me at how nice Charlotte was. My parents always told me vampires were blood thirsty and cruel. From my experience so far I completely agree, although, not all of them are terrible.

I was cut out of my thoughts by groaning and whimpering in the bed next to mine. I turned carefully on my side and saw a guy about eighteen, shifting uncomfortably in his bed. He had huge purple and black bruises on his neck, the guy's blonde hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, and his lips were a terrible shade of blue.

Is that what I look like? I thought.

I shivered and wrapped the flannel sheets tighter around myself. I noticed that my body isn't as skinny and frail, as it was before, and you couldn't see bones sticking out of my skin. Although, there were still bruises on my wrist from when the vampires held me down.

"Here she is, doctor" I heard Charlotte say as she came near my bed, with a man was in tow. Charlotte was pushing a cart with many medical supplies on it. My heart jumped to my throat as I saw needles and cutting tools.

"Good afternoon Ms. Mortem. I am Doctor Lee; I will be running some test to see if the awakening went smoothly" The doctor said.

He walked on the right side of the bed and readjusted his gloves. Then he reached his hands out towards my neck, I immediately jerked away when fingers touch my bruised neck.

Doctor Lee didn't seem to care as he roughly tried to find the pulse on my neck.

"Pulse is steady," He said to Charlotte as she wrote it down on a clipboard.

"Blood bag please," Doctor Lee said again to Charlotte.

She dug in the cart then pulled out and tightly concealed bag with a dark red liquid in it. The doctor ripped open the top of the bag and put it in front of my face. I turned my face away from it.

What is he doing? I thought.

"Smell it" Doctor Lee growled. Smell it?

He waved the blood bag by my nose and I uncertainly sniffed. I thought I would be disgusted, but the smell was delicious. I felt my eyes grow darker and something seemed to have awoken up inside of me. My gums were aching and I felt sharp teeth rip through. Click.

I was disgusted with myself. I'm a vampire. These fangs are going to tear through an innocent humans flesh.

The doctor pulled up my lips to examine the fangs. He tapped them with tools to see how strong they were. Then he rubbed jell of my gums, were the fangs are and they retracted.

"Okay, the fangs seem to be strong and sturdy. Now we just need to test your vocals" Doctor Lee said.

I was really beginning to hate this vampire. He treats me like an animal. I thought.

"Ms. Mortem can you please tell us your name?" The doctor asked.

My name? The last time I heard my name was a year ago. The last time I talked was a year ago.

I tried to think back to my home. What did my father call me? I know it starts with an A. Addison? Audree? Audria? Aurora? Yes that sounds familiar. Aurora. I could imagine my fathers face calling out my name. Aurora.

I tried to open my mouth and speak but all that came out was a dry cracked sound. The doctor noticed this and sent Charlotte off to get some water.

When I was handed the glass, I shakily brought it to my parched lips. It moistened my dry mouth and throat. I tried again to talk, a noise came out. I kept on trying until I said what I wanted.

"My name is Aurora Mortem" 

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