Turned

Chapter Eighty Four

We drove for what felt like hours, it could've been for all I knew... I wasn't sure, my head was far from clear. I just wanted to keep drinking, I wanted it, I needed it, I wasn't going to give up until I'd drank all I could, had my fill of blood, vampire blood.

I looked around, but my surroundings made little sense, swirls and dots, little else. It was like being a child in a giant playground, watching the London Eye all lit up, spinning around.

It was confusing to watch, witness. My head wouldn't stop spinning, I couldn't make sense of anything, nothing, the letters didn't make sense, they didn't stop in their tracks, they just kept going... swirling around in my head, as if they were in a bowl, attended to by a mixer than took great pleasure in mixing them around.

I didn't know what to do, I was so hungry, but my stupid self seemingly managed to believe that Leo was harmless, a vampire now but relatively harmless... I had to believe that. I didn't want to believe I was going anywhere but home.

I saw a familiar sign outside, but my stupid state of mind just couldn't make out what it said, the words were blurry, I could barely see them, but it still felt so familiar, frighteningly familiar.

We came to a familiar house... I knew it, I just didn't know whose it was... I was so confused. He stopped outside a large house, one I knew... one I once felt loved in... I could still feel some part of that... but anger and sadness washed over me, the whip of a belt, the claw of the buckle... this was home... my home, it was... their home.

"What... why are we here?" I asked, scared and surprised.

"Oh, Jack, you worry too much. They've been a burden on your life for years, now it is time for them to stop... time for you to make it stop"

"What... what do you mean?"

"It's time for you to join me, Jack, join us... once you make your first kill, you'll never go back, believe me, I know"

"What?"

"The first kill is always the best, who better to kill? They made your life a misery, time for that to end... you can think of it as counselling, what do you think?"

"I... I can't, I won't" I insisted as I glared at him, fiercely. 

"You can't kill them? Why not? They did nothing for you, Jack"

"They don't deserve to die" I replied, trying to fight the grogginess.

"You need blood" he complained.

When I didn't reply, Leo shrugged his shoulders and dragged me out of the car. I was too weak to kick and scream, he was right in way, I did need to feed but they didn't need to die, they didn't deserve to die. I had to stop him, I tried to be as heavy as possible, to loosen his grip to stop him, buy them precious minutes, seconds.

It was useless, he was so much stronger than I was. I tried to fight it, tried to fight him but I struggled, beyond all hope, counting each of his steps down the long path, his Heaven, my parent's Hell.

"Stop" I begged but it fell on deaf ears. "No!" I cried out, ignored too as he reached for the knocker.

He hammered the door quickly, I knew one of them would answer, if they were up. I hoped they weren't, it was dark, but it was winter... that gave me no hope. I cleared my throat, ready to tell them to run but Leo covered my mouth, hiding me away from the door. I couldn't say anything, I couldn't stop him... all I wanted to do was stop him, stop it... he was going to kill, he was going to kill them. I tried to fight the horrid feeling, but it only grew, painfully grew as the door opened. I could smell the alcohol on his clothes.

"Good evening" Leo stated.

"Yeah, what do you want?" my father asked in disgust.

It was good, he wasn't going to invite us in... I was safe, they were safe... I was wrong.

Leo raised his other hand, looking into their eyes, I could see his hand moving, my dad had stopped talking, he was... listening. 

"I need you to tell me who's in the house" Leo whispered in a hypnotic voice... hypnotism. Was that a full vampire's power?

"Oh... of course, come in" my father offered.

"Don't shout, don't scream, do nothing... just stand there, you cannot call for help, nor get the attention of your wife, is that understood?"

"Yes... I... understand" he replied in a sickening, almost drunk tone.

"Father" I called out, not wanting him to die. "Leo, stop, they don't need this" I insisted as he grabbed my mother. He looked straight into her eyes and I could see it all, I could see she was done for... there was nothing I could do, I couldn't stop it, I couldn't stop him, I was too weak. I clung onto him, trying to pull him off but he barely moved. He was much stronger than me, than I could ever be. 

"Come on, Jack, pick one... you can't have them both" he joked, sickeningly. I could feel my whole-body tensing, screaming for me to leave. Just a few steps and I wouldn't have to listen... but they'd still die.

"I won't become a killer!" I snapped.

"If you do, all that is over, your thirst will be manageable, easier, it is just one victim, I'll take the other... just one and you can be as strong as me, we can take Matt, in a few years, he'll understand, we can take Lena... we can live forever, just us, a little family. Isn't that what you always wanted, Jack, a family?"

I did... he was right but how did he know so much? Who told him? Was it Lena?

"Have you got Lena? Have you hurt her?!" I demanded in my clearer-headed state.

"Relax, we haven't got your family, I haven't even touched the werewolf yet, but rest assured, he'll be our next target, along with that traitor, Caleb!"

"Caleb?!"

"When you went missing, he kept an annoyingly close eye on me... I hate him"

"What did you do?!" I demanded.

"Nothing, I can't kill him, much too strong, as you found out" Leo replied coldly, like ice was running through him, through his veins. "Have not yet figured it out? Caleb is stronger because he was once a hunter, he served Sapphire well but now, she needs more... a family, a coven, not just a soldier looking for a way out"

"But he... he was her creation, she cares about him!" I protested.

"He annoyingly protected you, did you think I wouldn't notice just how much he did for you?"

"What?"

"Sapphire at first wanted to kill you, you were little to nothing to her, and you'd gone off to that place. I was sure you were going to die, Caleb argued your case"

"Why would he?"

"I don't know, I don't care, make your choice!"

He pushed towards my father, I could see the anger in his eyes, turning into fear as I approached. Knowing me, knowing how hungry I was, I probably looked like the devil himself. I didn't waste too much time, I couldn't if I was going to do it. I bent his neck, my fangs extended... I was going to kill.