The Tour Life Bites

Chapter 8: The bite

   I wanted to go apologize to Celestina but thanks to Victor and his crew I got hammer drunk last night and had the worst hangover. 

  “Get up.” James growled, throwing off my blanket and letting in all the light. I cringed and covered my eyes for a moment before I finally started to adjust. James stormed off and I was left to get myself up for the day.

  “Hey.” Celestina said appearing next to the table as I set up merch that day. 

  “Hi.” I said back, rubbing my head, I really hope this didn’t turn into another fight, I wouldn’t be a very good match at the moment.

   “I’ve been thinking about our fight and... I’m sorry. I realize Rem and I have been taking it kind of fast and your worried but.. I know we’re gona be okay. I don’t want you to worry, I can take care of myself.” She said, thoughtfully planning each word. I nodded.

   “I’m sorry too, I was sticking my nose into business it didn’t belong... just know I’m always here for you okay?” I said flashing her a small smile. A smile crept onto her face as well as we stood together, sisters once more.

   “I heard you had a ruff night with Pierce Avenue.” She said in a “please explain” tone.

  “Yeah and a ruff morning with James and his no mercy thing... There isn’t much to tell about last night.. or not much I can remember to tell that is. All I remember is being handed drink after drink and I probably at least drank about a half bottle of Whisky on my own.” She giggled.

   “Yeah you gotta be careful around them, when they say they’ll take care of you they don’t mean it in the way you think.” We sat and chatted about everything yet nothing and the time before the show ticked away quickly.

   “Have fun listening to the crowd tonight!” Cel joked as she ran to the back stage. I realized I hadn’t finished unloading and quickly ran out to get the rest of the boxes.

   “Late.” I heard James declare as I ran out the back door. I turned around to see him leaning up against the back wall of the venue. “You should have been unloaded hours ago. Now people are coming in and someone tried to steal a box of shirts because you left the trailer open.” He growled. “Your job may seem minuscule to you, but its how we make our money so to us its very important, and when you screw up like this, thats when we get very angry!” He now stood before me, his face inches from mine. I just stared at him very unimpressed. 

   “Shouldn’t you be nicer to the person that makes your money then?” I joked, rolling my eyes.

   “Wrong answer.” He said giving me a quick slap. I was already dazed so I barely saw it coming. “So whats your excuse? Why did this happen?”

   “I was talking to Cel and lost track of time.” I said honestly. “It was the first time we’d talked since our fight yesterday.” 

   “Well boo hoo, don’t fight with your friends then and don’t screw up my merch.” He thought for a second “If it’ll help I can remove the distraction.” He grinned evilly. 

   “Touch her and...”

   “And what? You cant do anything to me human.” He laughed.

   “But Rem can.” I fought back.

   “You really think so? let me give you another little vampire lesson.” He hissed. “Every band is a sect that stems off of many big covens and every sect has a leader to control it. I’m that leader. Every tour a master leader that is chosen based off how high up your family is. I’m also that leader. Now the followers of these leaders are bound to them in such a way that they must follow my rule wether they like it or not. I could tell Rem to kill Celestina and he’d do it. He wouldn’t like it but he would have no choice, no control and he would do it.

   “Thats not true. No matter how bound he is he would never do that!” I spat “There is always a choice to make, you forge your own life and path and he loves Cel he would never do that.” I said babbling on like an idiot, shocked at this new revelation. He was threatening my friends, my family and I could do nothing about it but try to debate it.

   “We’ll see about that...” He said trailing off with a smile. He began to walk away but I grabbed his arm.

   “I don’t know what your planning or what your going to do but think it through first. I know you’d do anything to get to me but mine is not the only life at stake in this game.” I said harshly, well trying to reason with him. I was honestly scared for my friends.

   “What you don’t understand is that this is not a game.” He said quietly, getting close and running the back of his hand down my cheek. His touch left an icy chill on my skin and a sinking feeling in my heart. “I’ve already won.” He growled directly in my ear, throwing me back against the wall. He pressed his body to mine until I was completely pinned and I couldn’t move. I felt his icy hands at my throat caressing it for a moment before leaning down to it. I gasped and began to shake when I felt his breath, shutting my eyes and pretending this wasn’t happening. The only time he had ever bitten me was when I was out cold so I didn’t actually know what it felt like. I only knew it was excruciatingly painful from Celestina’s account. His tongue danced at the soft spot at the base of my neck and I felt a sinking feeling at what would come next. But suddenly he was gone. 

   Shocked, I looked around scared, wrapping my arms around myself as I began to shake again. The worst fear for me isn’t what is happening but what will happen. The knowledge of what I did not know and couldn’t prepare for worried me and I came so dangerously close to finding out what would happen if I was bit. The thought shook me to my core. I was just getting over my shock when I was slammed into the wall again. 

    I understood now why he left for a moment, he knew he had shaken me and wanted the both of us to relish in my fear for a moment. He wanted to give me enough time to truly feel the depth of my fear and for it to process in my mind before he toyed with me again. But this time he wasn’t joking around. Without hesitation he pulled back like a cobra ready to strike and his fangs extended, then in one swift movement they plunged into my neck, breaking skin and sinking in deep, making me cry out in pain. The worst feeling in the world was feeling him so close, so deeply rooted into me that our thoughts mingled, so hyperaware of his presence that I couldn’t imagine him as someone else. With this came the pain. The feeling that your life and soul is all being forced into a little ball and sucked out. He was my mortal enemy and now it felt like he was devouring me from the inside out, like I was slowing becoming a part of him. My neck burned like gasoline hitting a lit match and I could heard him viciously taring through flesh. My knees went weak and I felt as if I was going to be sick when he suddenly pulled away. I fell to the ground and curled up into a protective ball around myself, shaking and scared, my body still riddled with pain. My ridged body went still, unable to hold itself in a protective manner anymore, my eyes rolled and my mind turned foggy. I lost each of my senses one by one as I was beckoned into darkness. The last thing I remember was feeling like I was flying, or being lifted one of the two then I was finally gone.