Vampire Bride

Chapter Eleven - Part One

Charlie

A moan escapes my dry, chapped lips as the stabbing pain of a migraine throbs from inside my skull. Almost zombie like, I whip the blankets off me, intent on getting some pills to ease the throbbing, but stop short. The room spins in a slow circle, causing my body to sway along with the imaginary movement. In order to ease the nausea that attacks my senses, I anxiously rub my palms over my thighs.

The once smooth fabric of the dress that I wore last night is now damp from sweat and layered with wrinkles. "I'm going to kill that man," I mumble as my feet shuffle across the floor.

I reach the corner of the room where my bathroom should be. The backs of my hands rub aggressively at my eyes. Where the hell am I? I'm nothing but a bunch of nerves as I look around the room in search of the door. Or any clue as to where I am. The sudden movement of my head causes a twinge of pain to run down the length of my neck. Thinking I pulled a muscle, my hand automatically goes to rub it out. But when I feel a plastic like square patch my blood starts to boil. And when my fingers apply two points of pressure that twinge of pain comes back.

It doesn't take much for the flashbacks of last night to flood me. I'm still at the house that enlisted me to coordinate a party, a party that they didn't need me for. A vampire party. And Mr. Barnett bit me.

Set on a mission, I speed walk downstairs in search for Maxwell. He took a piece of me, it's only fair that I take a piece of him. The clink of a glass sounds from the kitchen. Expecting to see Maxwell, I see the startled expression of the woman who requested my services instead.

I'm sure I look like a mad woman and once my words harshly spew out of my mouth, I sound like a mad woman too. "You." My finger points at her in hatred. "You helped him attack me, didn't you?"

"Maxwell," she shouts.

"You knew what he was doing. You. Vampire."

"Maxwell. Someone is awake...and not hap-py."

"Charlie, leave Grace out of this. She's an innocent bystander," Maxwell says from behind me.

I jump around to face him. "Innocent? She's innocent?"

"Calm down. Let's talk this out," he says as he slowly approaches me.

"Calm down? You bit me, you fiend!" I yell back at him.

A distant laughter that I assume to come from Grace makes matters worse. I'm not sitting here talking to him. Just the fact that he bit me is one thing, but not being able to remember what happened after I smacked him in the head with a lamp is scary all in itself.

"Charlie, we can talk about this. Let's just go back upstairs," Maxwell pleads. He blocks my path from getting anywhere near the door.

"Upstairs? You mean the little room you trapped me in so you could have a snack."

"Oh boy, she is a firecracker," Grace mumbles behind me. Her giggles fuel my anger.

"Grace. Shut. Up. Charlie, calm down. Look at me." His words are caring but stern at the same time.

And that's when it hits me. "I can't remember what happened because you did something to me. Your freaky vampire mojo. You know what, I don't want to talk. I can't stand to be in the same room as you." I shove him to the side and thankfully he lets me.

The front door is within reach when I hear him call my name. "Stay back." My hand flies out to stop him from getting closer. "Leave me alone." My fingers fumble with the lock. God damn locks and my jello fingers.

"Let me." Within seconds Maxwell is by my side, pushing my hands aside. He easily unlocks the door, but he doesn't open it. "Charlie, before you open that door, please know that I'm truly sorry and I hope one day you'll understand and forgive me. At best, let me explain."