Love Bites

Consequences

The birds were chirping outside, and Tasha could hear the sound of a TV playing somewhere nearby. She could smell something old, musty, making her wrinkle her nose. She tried to open her eyes but they felt so heavy, as if they were welded shut. More sounds bombarded her ears: the sound of her own breathing, a car idling on the road, a dog yapping angrily. She tried again to open her eyes. The room was so bright that the sunlight hurt her eyes. But above all, the overwhelming sensation was hunger.

She hopped off the bed and dressed. She was surprised at how easy everything felt. At the door she began following her senses, she was drawn towards the beating heart, towards the smell of something delicious. She needed it, she wanted it, she craved it.

"You're awake!" Cassandra said in a surprised tone, glancing at the clock. "I wasn't expecting you to wake yet. Well, never mind. How do you feel?"

"Alive, weirdly. And very, very hungry." Tasha advanced a few steps towards her, licking her lips. Cassie nodded and hurriedly threw her two blood bags which she snatched out of the air. She didn't hesitate, did not feel any revulsion; she ripped the tops off and drank the scarlet liquid as if it were a juice box. Each drop tasted like the nectar of the gods. Both bags were spent within seconds.

"Better?"

"Yes." It was at that moment she realised exactly what she'd done. She'd just become a vampire for love.

                                                                                              ***

Cal stood at the edge of the line of trees which separated his driveway from the public field to the side of his house. His skin was flecked with goose-bumps, the September night air surprisingly cool. He shivered and continued walking towards the house. The porch light was shining but the rest of the house was in darkness. He walked through the door and headed towards the den, flicking lights on as he went. He threw himself onto the couch and wiped the sheen of perspiration from his brow. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his rapidly pounding heart.

"Cal," Cassie said from the doorway.

"Shit!" he jumped, his ragged heartbeat stuttering. "I didn't hear you coming!"

"Sorry," Cassie said, her brown creased. "We need to talk."

"Go ahead."

Cassandra stepped into the room, behind her stood Tasha. 

"Tasha!" he jumped to his feet and moved towards her. She stepped towards him, smiling widely.

Cal stopped dead, "What have you done?" Alarm rose from the pit of his stomach. For a moment no one spoke, the silence seemed to stretch out between them, forming a physical barrier that he dared not touch. He repeated the question, "Tasha, what have you done?"

"I did this for you." she said the smile vanishing from her beautiful face. He raked his hands down the back of his head. "Cal, I love you. Now we can be together for always. Don't you see?"

"Why didn't you stop her!" Cal cried, rounding on Cassandra but she wasn't listening, she was staring intently down. "Cassandra!" Cal bellowed and her head snapped up. "Why didn't you fucking stop her?!"

Tasha's grin faded from her face as Cassie's spread. "Why should I? She wanted to be a vampire. To be with you. Now look what's happened." She began laughing hysterically. The laughter filled the room, bouncing off the wall and coming back to him like the roll of thunder in a valley. Slapping him in the face.

"What?" Tasha asked, confused.

"He's not a vampire anymore," Cassie beamed happily, looking at her clean, tattoo free wrists, then back up at Cal. The once feared vampire that she detested was now merely mortal. "You took the chair for her?"