Awakening (Awakening, #1)

Chapter 15

The pounding in the back of my mind won't let up. I don't want to leave this room, I don't want to see her. This Teegan person is, without a doubt, an itch I can't scratch. A feeling I can't shake. A memory I can't reach. The feeling of knowing something could be seriously wrong in a situation and not knowing what it is....it's a strange feeling. I don't think I've ever felt this way before.
A knock on the door startles me. I didn't answer. If I'm being honest with myself, I don't want to be bothered. The darkness I've been trying to keep at bay refuses to loosen it's iron grip it has on me. I can feel it; always there, always watching, waiting to catch me at my lowest and turn me into the monster I can feel I will soon enough become.
Another knock makes me jump and breathe out a huff in frustration. I only say, "Come in," because I thought it was Violet there. I smile a little to myself because Violet's always there. But it's not her. It's a girl that wouldn't be considered tall by any means, but not short, either. A weird but unique hair color that starts out jet black and gently fades into a caramel brown and lighter, still. Teegan, I gather from earlier. She's definitely no Violet.
"How...," her voice breaks and she quickly composes herself. "How are you? Are you alright? Took quite a spill earlier. I was worried." It's like I make her nervous. It's like she has to watch herself around me. Like she's afraid of slipping up. Slipping up in a lie. It's strange how I can gather up all of these tiny details just by her body language and how she carries herself. The way she looks at me. I make a mental promise to myself to uncover that lie, that treasure buried underneath the surface of her pretty face, and yet evidently, ugly secret.
And I know it has something to do with me.
"I'm fine," I say calmly. No reason to act like something's up and end up tipping her off that I'm already onto her after her being here for less than twenty-four hours.
"Well that's good, I'm glad. So, what's your name?" she asks. At that very moment I think of two things. One, she already knows my name. When she first got here and I was hyperventilating because her presence stirred my brain into mush, Violet placed her hand on my back and said my name and asked me if I was okay. Second, Teegan just confirmed that she's definitely hiding something. Not like I needed more proof of that anyway. And she's like me.
Her lack of a heartbeat and silent, fluid movements tell me that much.
"I think you know my name. But it's Jonah. In case you forgot from the time you arrived until now," I say. She flinches ever slightly. It would have gone unnoticed by a regular trained eye. But I noticed easily. Her facade is easily cracking- easier than I thought it would so soon. Meaning she lets her guard down around me which isn't smart. "What's yours?" I ask.
"Teegan. It's an oddball, right? Long story about how I got it," she laughs and I get even more wary of her. "But anyway, I'll be here for who knows how long, teaching you the ways and hows of being a vampire. Well, what I can, anyway. You're a bit different than I am. But no worries, you're in good hands here with these people. And with me. However much you may doubt that. I won't hurt you, ever. You'll learn a lot."
I eye her with a look of understanding, even though I don't trust her in the least bit. I know this has to happen, though. I need to remember everything I've lost, even if that means I need to deal with the constant hum in my head trying to tell me something. So I say, "Where do we start?"
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About an hour and a small cup of blood later, Teegan and I are about to start our training out in the woods. This is absolutely ridiculous to me, but if Violet's dad deemed it necessary, so be it. By the looks of things, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy you question by any means. We start out with simple obstacle courses and things. I have to do everything blindfolded, but I still hardly have any difficulty. We then move on to what Teegan calls instinctive survival tactics but I call learning to kill a human in the quickest possible way and erasing any trace of you ever having been there.
"Of course you won't use this until you're Awakened fully. But it's always good to know early so when the opportunity presents itself, you don't hesitate and miss your chance. Always go for right here," she motions to a spot on my neck, but I'm too far away. She chuckles and reaches for me and in two seconds flat, I have her outstretched arm in my hand and pinned at the elbow behind her back and her front against a tree. "You don't get to do that," I rush out through gritted teeth. "You don't get to touch me. Ever. I don't trust you, and I'm not going to act like I do. I know you and you know me, so let's not pretend. It doesn't look good on you."
She gasps, but I know she's heard worse from better. Everything about this girl jumps out at me and warns me to stay away. But not until I unearth the hidden secrets she possesses. In my brief hesitation, she turns around and has my chest pinned to the tree using one hand to secure both of mine behind my back.
"Sorry you feel that way. Really, I am. It hurts hearing you say that because...," she trails off and leans in closer to whisper in my ear even though no one's around. Her hot breath tickles my ear and sends uncomfortable shivers over my body. "what we used to have was so special. Really, it was. Everyone envied us, wanted to be...us. I miss that. But not everything is about you. Did you ever even consider the fact that what happened to you might have been brought on by someone higher up than you?"
My eyes widen in surprise and before I have enough time to let her words sink in, she continues. "You're special, Jonah, no doubt about that. But you are to serve a purpose and that purpose will present itself soon enough. So until then?" she's speaking louder now, almost yelling, but in a hushed voice. She twists my arm and I cry out and try to move but it's like I'm paralyzed; it must be a pressure point of some kind. "Stop being a whiny child and accept what you are now, and step up. This better not have all been for nothing."
Teegan lets go after a few more agonizing seconds and we stare each other down. Her green eyes darken. I stand my ground. She comes closer to me. "And what I was going to say earlier before you had your little fit? Is to bite here," and in a split second she grabs my face with one hand, turns my face sharply to the right and sinks her fangs into me.
It takes a second for the burning sensation to turn into pure white hot fire coursing through my veins. It takes a second for me to scream and less than a second for me to pull away with such vigor and push Teegan away with both hands. Hard. I'm panting and trying to register everything that's just happened. I put my hand to my neck and it comes away clean. How could I have healed that fast? And why did she bite me? She hits another nearby tree and gets right back up without pause.
I know that if I would have still had a heartbeat it would have probably exploded by now. All of my senses are on such high alert, I don't know what to do. Am I in danger? Is this all just apart of my training? Teegan comes stalking towards me, taunting me. "Come on. Gotta learn some way, right?" She smiles revealing a mouth full of blood staining her white teeth. I realize in that moment that she is absolutely insane. "Do me like you did that hospital full of innocent people! Don't worry, it wasn't only you that took part in that. But man, I was starting to get a little scared myself! You're no angel, Jonah, baby. I saw that firsthand. How long until Violet and the rest of them see you for who you really are?"
My head is pounding like a stampede of elephants are having a field day in my skull. She's messing with me. I know I didn't kill those people. But how did she know about that in the first place? Unless...,"You were there." I say. "Did you...did you kill them?" I yell. All those people are dead! They all had family or people who cared about them and she just...
I can't think, I can't, I can't, I can't. What's happening to me?
"Jonah. Ask yourself. What's real anymore? Look around you."
I look around and Teegan's gone.
Then I wake up. Alone. In my bed.