Back to Me

New Normal

The thirst woke her up. Hope's eyes were still adjusting to the light filtering through the curtains. Any other day, she would have welcomed the warmth of the morning, but today she wished it would stop burning her eyes. She rolled on to her other side away from the window, determined to stay in bed longer.

"Ah!" Stinging pain on her gums jolted her. Hope brings her fingers up to sharp fangs. With a sigh, she gets out of bed and puts on athletic wear.

The hallways were mostly empty as it was early in the morning, save for some early risers. Hope was used to the occasional staring from students, especially new ones that had just learned of the great Tribrid that lived in the Salvatore School. But as the years went by it had decreased dramatically. Well, she felt like she traveled back to when she first got there because the stares were back. A couple murmured into each other as she passed them. She consciously decided to focus her hearing on the birds outside to avoid their conversation. In her experience, it never landed her on good things.

She speeds up the pace to the kitchen, her nerves subsiding only when she is clear of wandering eyes. She opens the freezer and grabs a blood bag. The weight of the thick liquid takes her back to the night before -- to the intoxicating feeling of Elena's blood on her lips. Hope never imagined that she could feel desire as strong or consuming as right then; she sucked every last drop of blood out of the bag and still craved more. Despite her desire for more, she did not want Josie to see her that way. So she stopped.

She looks back at the bag on her hand and opens it. Her stomach recoiled in disgust. She pushed the bag away from herself as her face scrunched in a grimace.

"It was hard my first few times around too".

Hope turns around to greet MG, still in his pajamas. He made way around Hope and grabbed a blood bag of his own. He opens it and drinks the blood like he was having a smoothie. Hope is both jealous and disgusted that he can drink it so casually.

MG can't help but chuckle. It was hard to get a facial reaction from Hope, and right now her eyebrows were knitted together and her head cocked to the side like a puppy.

"It gets easier. Drink it quickly the first few times, that way you don't have to taste it".

Hope looks back down at her bag. She tips back her head and squeezes the bag. It was now or never. She could still smell the revolting scent of animal blood, but at least her thirst was satiated. Once done, she cleans the trail of blood on the side of her mouth.

MG keeps sipping his bag, "not bad for a newbie", he shoots a big smile that Hope can't help but return.

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On a day like this, Hope would be training with Dr. Saltzman at the dock. But she did not trust herself around other people yet. And that is how she ended up training by herself at the Old Mill. It was far from students and the forest offered strong grounding for her hyperactive senses.

With sore muscles and panting breath, Hope swung her staff at the air. She smiled at the release of tension in her muscles; this was her element, and for a moment she forgot she was dead. For motivation, she imagined she was hitting the Necromancer. She kept jabbing and lunging, sweat trailing down her back.

The Necromancer, who tricked her once into his mind.

She swung.

The Necromancer, who tortured and manipulated her friends.

She shoved.

The Necromancer, who forced her to become a vampire.

With a roar, Hope hurls the staff across the mill which embeds itself on a tree. What if the Necromancer keeps her father from being at peace? If he could resurrect people from the dead and control them, who knows what he is capable of now that he has black magic?

A faint knock reels her back from her thoughts. Josie stood at the door holding a tray with fruit.

"Hey..." She smiles.

Hope straightens herself, "Josie... what are you doing here?".

"Uh, my dad was worried when you didn't show up at the dock" Josie shifts on her feet, "and I saw you walking into the forest through my window".

Hope feels a smile creep on her face, so she turns her head to the side to try and hide it.

Josie walks closer, "I'm not here to bring you back. I figured you'd like some time alone," she nods to the tray full of fruit on her hands, "and that a snack after a workout would do you good".

Hope gratefully takes the platter from Josie and sets it on the table. She grabs a piece of pineapple and pops it in her mouth, savoring the sweet and acid tingle on her tongue. Her eyes shift to Josie who is playing with her hands, and she knows the witch wants to say something.

"I was only going to bring you the fruit," she looks towards the embedded staff in the tree, then back at Hope with wide and worried eyes, "would you like some company? You don't have to tell me what is going through your mind, but I find that having someone around helps"

Hope sighs deeply, "yeah, I'd like that". A weight is lifted off her shoulders in knowing she isn't alone.

They don't talk for a long time, simply enjoying the sweet fruit and each other's company. There is a quiet understanding between them, and Hope gets the feeling that Josie wanted to get away from people as much as she did.

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When trying to get the staff out of the tree, it broke in half. As they were making their way back to school, Alaric spotted the two girls and called them over. His eyes landed on the broken staff, his eyebrows rising in question.

"Caroline brought that staff from the Brazilian basin. It is almost impossible to break" He says as he takes the two pieces on his hands.

"Yes... sorry" Hope laces her hands in front of her. A laugh bubbled in the back of her throat and she has to fight to keep it down. She sneaks a look at Josie who has her lips pursed in a hidden grin.

Alaric lets out a laugh of his own and soon all three are joking about the staff.

"I was looking for you Hope," He says once he has sobered up, "I understand that becoming a vampire can come as... a big shock. I want you to know that you are not alone -- you have incredible power that has to be honed," He pauses, gently smiling at Hope, "your family will be here tomorrow to train you".