The Return | Cricky [C]

Chapter XL: Insatiable Hunger

Just as Ville had predicted, the spell did wear off. I was yanked back into my body for a brief episode of utter agony. Humans are not meant to live to two hundred and sixty. Naturally, my body was shutting down. Thankfully, Ville had been monitoring me at the time and was able to reinstate the spell almost immediately. Still was a fucking horrendous experience.

Ricky returned within a day. He, much like myself and anyone else who travels through the rift, was completely knocked on his ass. I heard the others say that he was successful in bringing Angelo here. Ange was even older than me, though. The trip took a toll on him and he'd need to rest for awhile before attempting to fix me. In that time, Ville popped over to Earth and brought Kuza home. It's weird how he is completely unaffected by the rifts. Maybe having the power to create them made him immune to their damage. Supposedly, Kuza bounced back better than anyone else did, which I'm accrediting to his teleportation abilities. He's used to his atoms getting pin-balled all around the place.

Ryan was impatient to see Angelo, but Ville insisted he waited. I can agree with that, to be honest. The first time he's seeing the love of his life in several years shouldn't be when he's sick in bed. Ryan was forced to remain in my room, watching over me. It was torture for him, understandably. Yuki, being the sweetheart that he is, stopped in and let Angelo drink from him. He has to be getting hungry himself, but I'm not sure how often ghouls have to feed.

Finally, three days after Ricky and Kuza had set out on their trip and returned, Angelo was well enough to prevent me from dying. And see Ryan, of course. The second he walked into the room, Ryan bolted up from his seat and ran to him. He took Angelo's face in his hands and kissed him with a great deal of passion. Always continuing to surprise me.

"I'm sorry, about everything." He said.

Angelo smiled, "Oh, just shut up and kiss me." And so he did. Knowing Angelo had other responsibilities, ones that were literally a matter of life and death, Ryan reluctantly let him go. Ange looked over at my body, sighing, "What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"

I think it's fair to say Angelo was my guardian in the way that Ville was Ricky's. We were still good friends, but there would always be a teacher and student dynamic to us, albeit a subtle one now that we're both grown adults. Angelo sat down beside my body, examining my sheet white skin with dismay.

Ville stepped into the room slowly, carefully. Ricky and Yuki both slipped into the room independent of each other. I wonder if Ricky's figured out who he is yet. Fuck, I hope not. I've got enough on my plate as is.

"Once I lift the spell, you'll have to move quickly. His body has minutes of life left in it." Ville clarified.

Angelo replied, "Don't worry. I won't let him die."

Oh, this is going to suck, isn't it? Ville placed his hands onto my torso and just like that, it was a cut to black. A minute later, I was regretfully back in my own body. Just as I drew in a painful breath and felt another seizure coming on, Angelo jumped on me. He sunk his teeth deep into my neck, pumping my veins full with the venom we dare call the vampire virus. Then, I began convulsing for a very different reason.

"I thought you said you could save him!" Ricky yelled as he rushed over to my side.

"I did!" Angelo firmly responded, "In order for him to be reborn a vampire, his human body has to die. It happened to all of us. In about a half hour, he'll be okay, but you should have a blood source for him by then. He'll be famished."

"He can drink from me." Ricky said.

"He has to take a life." He countered.

Please, Ricky, for once in your life, don't be stubborn. Angelo knew what he was talking about. You were the one going on the other day about the importance of listening to the person who knows best. He called in Kuza, telling him to go find me a victim as quickly as possible. I definitely didn't want to drink from one of the beautiful Amazonian women at the palace. I don't think even cheesecake could make up for murdering one of their sisters.