Initiation

Chapter 10

Jess and I arrived at the party at around 10:00 that night. We pulled over on the side of the road as there was no parking to be found anywhere remotely close to the house. 

These parties were the highlight of everyone's school year. Everybody who was anybody would be here. I took a deep breath, and tried to clear my head. I was still slightly dizzy, I couldn't quite pinpoint why. I figured that alcohol was not exactly a great idea that night, but I wanted to set rest to the turmoil roiling inside my brain. Alcohol would provide me with a distraction from the sickness I felt, gnawing away inside me like a hungry beast. It was both mental and physical, I had seen to much, been through too much, and maybe now that the adrenaline was out of my system, I was starting to crash. My mind was in the same state, flooded with scenes of murder, killers, and getting shot at. It was too much.

     "So that's that." I heard Jess finish. I had completely gotten lost in my own thoughts.
     "What?" I asked dumbly. I had no idea what she had just said.
     "I said," she started, peeved, "do you think you'll hook up with Dylan tonight? I mean I know I will be with Natalie so that's that."
     I didn't really know how to respond to that. Of course, the answer was no, absolutely not I will never ever ever 'hook up' with Dylan. Seeing as he was a murderer and  all. But how could I begin to convey that to my friend? I hadn't told anyone. And secretly, I knew that was part of the problem. Keeping feelings bottled up always leads to disaster.
     So, I merely said "Not me, no frickin' way. But you go for it, girl." With regards to Natalie and Jess, I was behind them all the way. They were cute.
     Jess hopped out of the car, and I followed the suit, stepping out into the dee covered grass on the curb. We crossed the street, and walked up the driveway to Courtney's house.
     The house itself was a huge bricked Victorian style building, with a perfectly manicured front lawn only interrupted by a garden path leading from the driveway to the front door. Lights had been strung from the small cone-shaped cedar shrubs lining the path. I could hear the pulsing beat of music even from way out here. It was surprisingly clear, I could make out every syllable and lyric the artist sang. I started singing along, softly to myself.
     "Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight" I whisper-sang to myself along to the music.
     "What are you doing?" Jess asked curiously.
     "Singing along..." I answered slowly. I don't understand her question, was I not supposed to be?
      "Singing along to what? The only music I can hear is the repetitive thumping." She said.
     "Don't be ridiculous. There must be a window open or something, I can hear it fine." I said, exasperated.
     "Jas are you feeling ok? There's nothing but the repeated thump thump thump of the baseline." Jess asked, worried.
     In truth, no I wasn't ok. My head was swimming, and I had a pounding ache at the base of my neck.
     "I'm fine," I started, " you probably just need to pop the pressure out of your ears."
     We walked up the lit pathway and rang the doorbell. Courtney came to the door in a slinky black dress that had a very strappy back to it.
     "Look who showed up," she said slyly, "just don't break anything. Oh and Jas, sweetie? If you're here for Dylan, he's not for you."
     I resisted the urge to throttle her. Presumptuous bitch. We brushed past her into the front hall, and took a left into the living room. There were people from school everywhere, and also a few I didn't recognize. Everyone was mingling and having a great time, red solo cups in their hands.
     It was then I noticed a group of people, mostly guys, standing in the corner of the room, just by the French doors leading out to the pool. Their eyes bored straight into me, not one of them blinked. I gulped when I noticed one of them was Dylan, standing solemnly in a black v-neck and dark jeans. The t-shirt was tight around the arms, really accentuating his biceps. Not that I really noticed. Or cared. Also, I definitely didn't care about how the tight shirt pulled at the chest, showing how muscular he really was. Nope, didn't care. He was the only one not piercing me with a death stare. He seemed more, resigned, or like he was disappointed.
     I couldn't let them get to me like this. They were obviously crazy. Jess grabbed my arm, and we started to walk outside to the punchbowl. Just as we were about to walk out the doors, I felt a hand grab my shoulder.
     I stifled a scream.
     Dylan had me by the back of my neck, his grip like iron.
     "Jas," a deep voice behind me said, " we need to talk."
Talk? Talk about what, exactly? How he got me shot? How he freaking bit me? I didn't want anything to do with him.
     "Now" that deep voice again ordered.
     "Leave me alone." I tried to say with conviction. But unfortunately, I couldn't keep the waver of fear out of my voice. Unfortunately, Jess took it as a waver of playful shyness.
     "I'll give you two some time," Jess said, winking, "I'll be just outside, hmkay Jas?" She looked over her shoulder mischievously as she walked out. I tried to call her back, but my voice died in my throat.
     I looked over at Dylan. He was dark and brooding as always. He grabbed me by the arm, and practically dragged me through the living room, down the hall, and out the side door by her wood shed. It was a totally secluded spot. We were alone.
     Dylan turned to look at me. At this point, I was practically swaying on my feet, I was so woozy. He nodded grimly and said,
     "It's starting. You can feel it, can't you."
It wasn't a question. He knew I was feeling the way I was. Maybe I had caught rabies from his stupid bite.
     "Look Jas. I need you to trust me. Tell me exactly what is going on right now." He ordered.
     "Why the hell would I trust you? Just get out of my face creep!" I tried to shove him away, putting all my strength into one big push.
He didn't budge.
Dylan stood rock steady as I heaved all my weight onto him. Nobody is that strong, he didn't even flinch.
     "Jas this is important. Things are going to happen to you tonight. Things, you won't be able to understand." He tried to explain.
     "What the hell are you on? What things?" I demanded.
     "Things that can't be explained through rational thinking. Look," he said, "you're body is going to change tonight. It's a full moon, you're going to want me helping you through."
     "My body is going to change? What are you, crazy? What the hell, Dylan." I said.
     "Jas," Dylan started, annoyed, "I'm trying to help. I know you've been feeling weird, woozy and such? It's because of the full moon. You're not... Normal anymore."
     "What the hell do you mean? I'm not normal? Screw you, I don't need to take insults from a creep!" I shouted. In truth, what he was saying scared me. Scared me a lot. But I couldn't let him know that.
     I ripped my arm from his grip and stalked off. I had to find Jess.
     "Jas!" Dylan yelled after me. "Jas wait! I'm serious!" I ignored him.
     I found Jess by the punch fountain, she handed me a cup full.
    "So how was he?" She asked as I took a sip of the beer spiked punch.
     "What do you mean?" I asked. How was he? What did that mean.
     "I mean, how was he? Was he good? I bet he was. Was there tongue?" She asked.
    I realized what she meant.
     "Oh god Jess, no nothing like that happened. He was a weirdo, and a creep. He wouldn't stop saying things were going to happen to me tonight." I said.
     "Sounds exciting." She joked.
     I took another sip. It was honestly terrible, but I was parched. I drained the glass, and filled another. I was dizzy, and woozy, and my head still hurt, but I didn't care. I wanted to get lost in the haze of alcohol. It took quite a few more glasses of that weak punch, but I eventually made it.
     Jess and I abandoned the punchbowl and headed to the pool deck, which had become the dance floor. The baseline thrummed, I felt the beat in my body. Jess and I danced, jumping up and down, knocking into people, and laughing. It was a good time.
     Gradually, not quick enough for me to notice, I started to feel heat, coming from my lower neck down to my chest. It was burning hot, there was definitely something wrong. I stumbled suddenly, sinking onto my knees. Distantly, I heard Jess asking if I was alright. My vision blurred, things moving in and out of focus, as I tried to regain my footing. Using Jess' arm, I hoisted myself to my feet.
     "I'm fine," I slurred, "just a little to much to drink. I'll just go sit on the Adirondack chairs in the side yard."
     Jess didn't look happy to leave me on my own but I reassured her that I'd be ok. Slowly, I stumbled my way over around the side of the house, to the chairs by the wood pile where I talked to Dylan earlier. I sank gratefully into the embrace of the wooden chair. My head was spinning, worse than it had all night. My whole body was burning up now, I could literally feel sweat dripping down my temples.
I felt weak, I could barely keep my head up. I slumped forward in my chair, then slipped out of the chair onto my stomach, unable to hold myself up any longer. I felt the dew seeping through my clothes, soaking me from head to toe. The heat swept through my body like a forest fire, burning me up. I started to crawl towards help, towards people. I tried to call to them, but my voice call out as nothing but a croak.
I lay there, in the shadows of the house. I was out of sight, and out of mind of everyone at the party. Hidden in the darkness, I began shaking. I couldn't control myself. The heat was almost unbearable now.
Out of nowhere came a sharp ache in my mouth, and the taste of blood. I ran my tongue over my teeth, and cried out in shock as I felt four very sharp incisors. They were unnaturally long. Not normal, not...
Human.
I whimpered, scared and alone. Suddenly, as if a spell was lifted, I could move. I sat up, and shook my head in an attempt to clear it. My teeth were still out of whack, though. I needed to find a private place to figure out what the hell was going on, and it sure wasn't out in the yard on a wooden chair.
Taking care to keep my mouth shut to hide my strange dental issues, I slowly made my way into the house, avoiding eye contact. The last thing I needed was for Jess to find me and drag me away to dance.
I made it up the stairs to the bathroom, and I slammed and locked the door behind me. I leaned on the white ceramic sink for support, and glanced up and the mounted mirror on the wall. I opened my mouth, and low and behold, revealed a set of fangs. They weren't long and slender, as you might imagine a vampire's to be, but shorter and thicker, almost canine. My head spun.
What's going on, I thought to myself. A sharp pain suddenly flared behind my eyes. I doubled over and clutched my temples, trying to ease the pain. I cried out in agony, trying to clear my head. I looked up at the mirror, and my eyes were glowing a soft shade of golden yellow. I blinked, and rubbed my eyes, trying to tell myself it was a hallucination, but it was all too real. I had fangs and glowing eyes. A wave of heat hit my body again, sweeping through me in blazing waves. I collapsed to the floor, again rendered weak and unable to move. I felt my body shudder, shaking the wastebasket.
     Then, as quickly as it started, it was over. I stood up shakily, wary of the next time I would suddenly fall prone. I checked my reflection; normal brown irises and straight teeth stared back at me. I blinked at the mirror, confused. Maybe there was a hallucinatory drug in the punch? But I then became aware of a loud whirring noise, resembling the whine of a chainsaw. It was excruciatingly loud, and I wondered who in the hell would have a chainsaw inside the house. I was about to open the door and yell at them when my eyes caught a small housefly, buzzing at the window. The chainsaw sound ebbed and wavered with each attempt the fly made at escape through the glass. But it couldn't be the fly, I could literally feel the vibration from how loud it was.
     Rather suddenly, the sound cut off, and all I could hear was the small whine of the fly's wings and the ever constant thump of music.
     "What the hell is happening to me?" I whispered to no one in particular.
     Then, for the third time that night, I collapsed in a heap to the floor.
• • •
I don't know how long I lay there, sprawled helpless on the floor, but I eventually heard footsteps coming up the stairs toward the bathroom.
No, no, no, NO, I thought. The last thing I needed was someone bugging me to use the washroom. I hear a knock on the door, and a deep voice said:
"Jas? Are you in there?"
It was all I could do to manage a whimper in response. I heard muffled cursing from the other side of the door. Then, I heard the doorknob rattle. Of course I had locked if, but it didn't seem to be a problem for whoever was on the other side of that door. They simply ripped the handle out of the door and reached through to unlock the sliding bolt.
A shiver of fear slid down my back when I realized it was one of the guys I saw hanging with Dylan earlier. The tall lanky one. He took one look at me, sighed, then picked me up as if I weighed nothing, and carried me downstairs.
Half unconscious as I was, I could kind of make out him talking to Jess, saying he was going to take me home because he wasn't drunk. I tried to call to Jess, to tell her to not let this crazy man take me, but she nodded along as if she sad sense in the idea. She gave a small wave and melted into the crowd.
The boy carried me out the front door, and around to the side yard by the woodshed I was now oh-so-familiar with. He set me down gently in front of Dylan and the rest of his group, and said "Now what?" in a rather gruff manner. I heard Dylan say something, then flick his hand once. It resembled a 5 year old trying to flick off a booger, but I doubted that was what he was doing.
He grabbed my wrist, and dug his unnaturally long nails into the soft part of my inner arm. I screamed, it was as if he had venom on his hands. Then, I felt energy course through me.

I looked up at him, pain still throbbing up and down my arm, and something happened. The group of people that were standing around us had started to fade away. All I could see was Dylan. Not even in a star-struck, romance novel sounding way, but more like my vision tunneled. I was then struck by a feeling that resembled the feeling of the first drop on a roller coaster. That is as close as I can come to describing what I experienced, but it falls woefully short. A feeling like the crack of a whip seemed to pass between us, and I saw him. Who he was, his feelings, something that could've been his soul. I don't know if he felt the same way. I can only assume it came from my wound.

Dylan released my wrist. I watched as one by one the group of people bounded into the forest, leaving just me and Dylan. 

"Well?" Dylan said expectantly, "you coming or what?" He too, then turned and raced off into the night.
I don't know what urged me forward that night. It was like a pull that I couldn't resist. I literally couldn't stop myself, one foot in front of the other. I should have been terrified, but I wasn't.
Even then, I could tell this was the beginning of something big.