The Chase

The Chase Ch. 14

 Ginger's P.O.V

                Everyone was so busy paying attention to me that they didn’t notice the blonde with wild eyes slowly approaching. All I was capable of was screaming in agony and clutching at my grotesquely twisted arm. Donovan poked it and asked if it hurt.

“No, it feels great,” I yelled sardonically.

“It’s definitely broken,” Emma commented.

“We’re going to have to put it back into place,” said Donovan.

            He lifted my arm and I cried out. He warned me it’d hurt like hell and that I’d probably pass out. I was more worried about the starved looking vampire that had earlier called Thad “little brother”. She was approaching more swiftly now. I locked eyes with her and for a moment thought I could see my own death in them. Donovan saw the terrified look in my eyes and spun around. Cocking their guns, Luke and Donovan sent bullets flying her way. It was practically raining bullets but it seemed only a selective few hit their intended mark.

            It seemed it was taking Thad longer than it should’ve to dispose of the other vampire. Once everyone was distracted with the female, I stole away in search of him. Pressing my arm to my side, I limped out into the front yard. It took a great deal of shrewdness for me to move quietly. I found Thad, like I had intended, but seeing him in the state he was sent shivers down my spine.

            Thad was tearing the other vampire limb from limb. A breeze inopportunely rolled by and sent my scent over to Thad. He inhaled the air for about two seconds before pinpointing where I was hidden in the shadows. By the light of the moon I noticed his eyes were completely black. It wasn’t the Thad I knew. He was different, scary. I felt sick seeing him like that. I dropped to my knees and vomited in the grass before me.

“Dear God,” I heard Thad mutter. He dropped the dismembered corpse and ran over to me. “Ginger what the hell are you doing out here?”

            I shied away from his touch, rejecting his help getting up.

“Get away from me you…monster,” I shrieked.

            For the first time I noticed the sticky redness soaking my shirt. I cowered away from Thad, assuming he’d lunge at me.

“Monster?” he reiterated, a twinge of hurt in his voice.

            He moved towards me and I crawled further away. I got to my feet and sprinted back to the house. I could tell he wasn’t following me. Inside the house, the vampire “Marie” was twitching on the floor. Emma had sprayed her. Seeing me leaning heavily on the doorway, Luke ushered me inside to the kitchen that doubled as a first aid area.

“Where’d you run off to?” he asked.

“Nowhere,” I said.

“Ok.” He wouldn’t push it. He knew I’d talk when I was ready. “This is going to hurt alright?” I nodded. Luke grabbed my arm and swiftly jerked it forward. I cried out in anguish and he gave me a minute to breathe. “Is it alright if I cut the back of your shirt? It’s stained in blood anyways.”

“Go ahead,” I gasped.

            Luke set my arm down gingerly and grabbed a pair of scissors. I noticed Donovan had walked in.

“Mind if I watch the doctor operate?” Donovan asked.

           At this point it didn’t matter to me. I was on the verge of passing out. I told him he could watch all he wants. Luke carefully sliced the back of my shirt open and inspected the gash where my bone tore through my flesh. I cried when he cleaned it with stuff that stung like hell.

“I have to sew it closed,” he informed me. “It’ll probably hurt since I’m not a doctor.”

“Do what you have to do,” I said dismissively.  

            I watched as he deliberately threaded a needle and prepared to stitch me up.

“You won’t mind a battle scar, will you?” Luke asked jokingly.

“You’ve got a few yourself so I guess one wouldn’t hurt me.”

            Wincing, I bit my lip as he began stitching. “Ugh, I’m not good at this,” he complained. He went to get Emma instead since she could sew. Luke allowed Emma to take over and stepped out of the kitchen. Emma didn’t try to make conversation with me; she was too concentrated. I was pretty grateful for the silence; it gave me time to think. I hadn’t realized that Donovan had left along with Luke. I guess the site of blood made even the manliest man squeamish.

            I went over everything that happened. I should’ve stayed upstairs when he told me to. Instead I chose to come downstairs and be Little Miss Nosey. My mind kept flashing back to the image of Thad tearing apart the vampire. He was completely animalistic. No trace of humanity was left in the Thad I had witnessed. My heart knew he was a pretty good guy but my mind wouldn’t let me think of him without bringing fear into the equation.

“I can take over from here,” a male voice said.

            Emma stepped aside and left without questioning.

“I’ll go check on Sadie,” Emma told me.

            I wanted to tell her not to leave me with him. Without seeing his face I knew it was Thad. I stared straight ahead and tried not to hyperventilate.

“Are you afraid of me?” Thad solicited.

I didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes.”

Thad sighed. “What you saw outside…you shouldn’t have seen.” When I didn’t respond he continued. “That side of me, you were never meant to see. I know you must be frightened but if you’d let me explain or give me another chance—”

“There’s nothing to explain,” I interjected. “That was the real Thad I saw outside.”

            Thad finished stitching my shoulder blade and attempted to lick the blood off of it. I practically fell out of the chair trying to get away from him.

“Don’t,” I requested.

“I have to,” Thad insisted.

“No, you don’t. I think I’ll live. I survived cuts before you were around to seal them.”

            It came out a lot harsher than I meant it. Thad raised his hands in submission.

“So is this how it’s going to be?” he asked. “Are you going to shut me out and hope our ‘dating’ thing goes away?”

“Let’s hope it’s that easy,” I heard myself say.