Mesmerized | ✓

34

Why was Yuli dragging her back to her own house? What did it have to do with her becoming a vampire? Robin tried not to read too much into that. She was only happy that Yuli was finally about to make her dream come true. Though, as he pulled her by the hand, she winced at how ruthless he was being, as if he didn't care at all that he was hurting her. Robin tried to convince herself that he just wanted to do the deed as soon as possible.

The girl felt a bit ridiculous, walking the streets at quite a fast pace in her full-length dress but no one even paid her any attention as everyone was still at the prom, probably yet unaware of Yuli's disappearance. When they reached the house, Yuli pushed her through the door, nearly making her fall. The girl didn't really understand the rush of the situation but she wasn't about to question Yuli.

"Where are we going?" Robin asked but Yuli didn't bother to answer as he pulled the girl upstairs. She stayed silent, believing that he knew what he was doing and they just needed to hurry for some reason. Maybe Yuli wanted to turn her as soon as possible so that they could exact vengeance on Carl and Candace. Robin smiled to herself. She would be happy to help.

But Yuli passed the guestroom, Robin's bedroom and instead aimed for the master suite. Robin didn't even have the time to ask what he was doing before they were storming into her parents' bedroom. They were both asleep, cuddled to each other but as the door opened so did their eyes and they looked at the intruders in confusion, barely awake.

It looked like they wanted to say something, probably ask what the hell they were thinking, barging in on them like that in the middle of the night. But Yuli didn't let them do any of them. Instead, all it took was one glance from him and without being asked to, they unwillingly joined the army of Yuli's followers. Their faces relaxed and they saw Yuli in a completely different light, like many more before them.

"What is this for?" Robin asked as Yuli approached the bed. He didn't have his usual smirk on his face but instead there was still the look of betrayal and hurt raging on in his green eyes. The boy approached Yuli's mother, grabbed her chin and made the woman meet his gaze. Karen seemed all too happy to do so as her husband watched them with pure adoration.

"How much are you willing to sacrifice to be like me?" Yuli asked in a serious voice, still keeping his eyes on the older woman.

Robin swallowed hard. She knew where he was going with it. Yuli wanted her to kill her parents, probably to prove to him just how loyal and dedicated she was. Her gaze traveled to her mother, then father and then back to Yuli. She loved the two of them more than she could explain with words. The girl felt tears in her eyes as she thought about her childhood. About them going for ice-cream together, getting piggy backs from her father, stealing make-up from her mother.

And yet it all paled in comparison to Yuli. As she looked at him, she could see nothing but the entirity of her universe that was confined in that one body. Yuli was all that existed to her and she would do everything to be allowed into contact with such perfection, such divinity. No matter the cost.

"Everything." She said in a breathy voice, not realizing that she had been shaking. Robin didn't want her parents to die but if that was her prize to pay, then she would be willing to pay it. As long as Yuli would finally recognize her love.

Finally, that intoxicating smirk appeared on Yuli's face as he pressed his lips gently to her mother's neck. A soft gasp escaped Karen's lips as the smallest of thread of blood started flowing down her neck. "To become like me, you have the drink the blood of your parents. Both of them." He said, turning the woman's wounded neck towards the girl.

Robin slowly walked to the bed and sat at the edge of it. She put both of her hands on her mother's neck trying not to look into her eyes. She parted her lips and pressed them against the wound. The warm liquid filled her mouth and she hated the taste but she continued to drink knowing that it was what Yuli required of her.

All the while she was doing it, Yuli was smiling. Then, he bit the other side of her neck and this time more blood flew out. Karen's eyes closed and she fell back against the pillows. After that they did the same with Robert who was just as happy to cooperate. The taste of blood was awful but each time she looked at Yuli, she was reassured that it was all worth it.

*****

Carl froze when he noticed that the front door to his house was open. It shouldn't be like that. He looked at Candace who seemed just as worried as he felt. "Where's your cell phone?" The girl asked softly. "You need to call Mark."

"No, not yet." Carl said shakily. "We don't know yet if he's here."

Candace smiled at him sadly. "We do." She said. "And we need to work fast." She took out her own cell phone and slipped it into Carl's hand. "Call him."

Carl didn't want to do it. He had demanded to be the one to check the house for this purpose only. In his opinion it was more likely than Yuli would be here and Carl didn't want it to be Mark to find him and then kill him. Carl wouldn't be able to do this himself and he doubted that Candace would either so he hoped to figure something out that would spare him of death.

But in the end Carl knew that the situation was too serious to leave it up to fate or Yuli or whatever was up there. Mark needed to come because otherwise Yuli could as well slaughter everybody inside the house and that was the one thing worse that the death of Yuli himself. Or at least Carl was doing his best to convince himself that he truly believed that.

So he dialed Mark's number and told him everything. The man assured Carl that he would be there shortly but he knew it wasn't fast enough. "You can stay here if you're scared." He said to Candace who kept looking at the building worriedly. "But I'm going in."

"I'm not letting you go there alone." Candace said grabbing her friend's hand and squeezing it tightly. Carl looked into her eyes wishing for the thousandth time that month that things were different. That looking at her face, he would gain freedom from Yuli, that he would find love he had once felt. He had no idea what Candace felt for him, if the kiss had awoken something buried deep inside. Too blinded by his fascination with Yuli, Carl couldn't tell what the girl felt.

Hand in hand, they walked inside the house through the open door, as quietly as they could. The inside of the building was dark but neither of them dared to switch on the lights. Carl barely glanced over the kitchen and the living room before they started making their way upstairs. He felt his heart beat faster as he checked the guest room, then Robin's bedroom and then his own. They were all empty. Which left only one room to look into.

Carl looked at Candace for reassurance but he only found fear. They didn't say a word to each other and the girl squeezed his hand as they turned the corner. The door to his parents' bedroom was ajar and a pale light was coming through. Carl felt his legs start to tremble but they continued to walk slowly and quietly.

"What are we going to do?" Candace whispered right into his ear tickling his skin with her warm breath.

Carl reached into a pocket inside his suit and grabbed a knife. He knew he wouldn't use it but maybe at least it would make Candace feel a little better. He reached out his hand to push the door open enough so that he could take a peek inside but before his fingers as much as brushed against it, the door opened, revealing Yuli's beautiful face.