✨ Chapter Theme Songs ✨
Unexpected - Duvid Swirsky & Gabriel Mann
Hold On - Marty Casey & Lovehammers
Waking up in a changed body was disconcerting to say the least.
Looking around, I found that I was laying on the ground in the tunnels where I died. My cellphone was in my pocket and I noticed that I had messages from my friends wondering where I was. It was just then that I realized that I needed to get out of these caves.
Picking myself up, I walked and walked until I reached my house. I needed that time to think about what I was going to do. Seeing that my car was the only one parked on the sidewalk told me that my dad had left for work already.
Good.
I didn’t want to see him right now, lest he try to change my mind about transitioning.
Since I wasn’t full-blown vampire yet, I was still able to enter my house.
I could feel the tears as they slid down my face. Looking around tore straight through my heart. This would be the last time I saw it.
Heading into the bathroom, I saw a pair of scissors. You’re not supposed make drastic changes in your life when dealing with sudden loss, but I didn’t care. I was about to die again anyway. The twenty-four hours I had left to transition was quickly dwindling.
After cutting my hair into a surprisingly cute bob, I went to grab paper and envelopes.
Sitting down in the kitchen, I began composing letters to my loved ones.
Dad,
By the time you read this, I’ll be gone…
The spirits turned me into a vampire as punishment for everything I’ve done in the recent months. I hate what they’ve done to me but I don’t think it was completely unwarranted. I did go against their wishes, multiple times. I guess I deserve this.
I’ve decided not to complete the transition. The thought of being a vampire terrifies me. I feel such a strong hatred for them and I wouldn’t want that to make me a hunter like Alaric. I wouldn’t want my feelings to make me want to hurt my friends, my precious people.
Anyway, don’t worry about me. Once I leave this world, I can find peace with Grams after going to the other side.
I do have a request though.
I left letters for my friends.
Tomorrow, if you could please deliver them. Caroline will already be heading to New Orleans by now, so I already addressed it and everything. The other two can be dropped off at Elena’s house.
I’m so sorry that I never gave you a chance to be my father. It’s one of my many regrets.
Tell Abby I’m sorry too.
I hope that, one day, you both can forgive me.
- Bonnie
After putting the final touches on all the letters, I sealed them before leaving them on the kitchen table.
Checking the time, I saw that it read 11am.
I realized that by tonight, if I didn’t drink human blood, everything would be over.
With a sigh, I went into my room. If I was going to die, I should at least look my best.
It didn’t even take me long to get ready.
After a much needed shower, I put on the fanciest black dress I owned and debated whether I should wear heels or not.
If Care was here, she’d tell me to go all out. If Elena was here, she’d advise me to at least bring flats along with me to wherever I was going.
Man fuck it, we ball.
I put on the highest pair of stilettos I could find. Care would be so proud. I laughed to myself.
When I was finally ready, I took one last look at my home before getting in the car and driving away.
I didn’t pay much attention to where I was going, so you could imagine my surprise when I ended up at Whitmore College. I guess it was poetic that I end my life here, where it was supposed to really begin.
Parking a decent ways away from any cameras, I grabbed the little purse I brought with me and locked the car.
When I reached the center of the campus I was overwhelmed by all of the people scrambling to get to their classes. It must be time for their finals to take place.
Looking around, I saw all the bulletin boards advertising different semester-ending events. All the hustle and bustle happening around me made me sad.
This isn’t how I wanted to go out. I was supposed to be here in the fall to learn and grow into a better version of myself.
Instead, I’m dying. I can feel it actually. I was moving a lot slower and I was reminded of how Elena looked in her cell when the council captured her.
I’ve gotta hand it to the spirits, this is the perfect punishment. I could transition and become a bloodthirsty vampire or I could just die as I planned. Either way, I lose.
It’s my own fault, though.
I abused my powers and now I’ve become the thing I hate. Sometimes I resent my friends because of what they are. I know I shouldn’t, they didn’t become vampires on purpose. I do have to once again admit that Care is better off as one.
I shook my head, laughing at myself. I actually just thought that huh. Well, it’s the truth. Our friendship actually got stronger after she turned too.
“Excuse me miss, are you lost?”
I whirled around to see a man with a bunch of papers and a messenger bag standing there expectantly.
“No, not really. I’m just immersing myself in the environment, I was supposed to enroll in the fall.”
I didn’t know why I was spilling my guts to a random.
“Supposed to?” He asked stepping closer to me. “Are you no longer interested in this institution?”
“Oh no, I was excited to come here.” I reiterated. “It’s just that the doctors don’t know how long I have left to live. They believe it’ll be any day now.”
“Oh…” he trailed off. “I’m sorry to hear that. You’re that sick?”
“Yeah… stage four blood cancer.” The irony on that statement was not lost on me. “I figured I’d see what my future was supposed to be like before heading home to be with family.”
“Well then, Miss…
“Bennett,” I said. “Bonnie Bennett.”
“Bonnie, lovely name. My name is Dr. Maxfield, but you can call me Wes.”
“Nice to meet you, Wes.”
“Likewise, although I wish it was under better circumstances. Say, by any chance are you related to the late Dr. Sheila Bennett?” He asked.
“Yes. She was one of the reasons I wanted to attend this school.”
“Nice, would you have been following in her footsteps?” He asked with a creepy twinkle in his eye.
“Nah, I was going to major in Biology.” The lie slid smoothly off my lips. In actuality, I would’ve majored in computer science. I was always fascinated by the hackers in the movies, so I was dead set on becoming one myself.
Hah, pun totally intended.
“Well, it would have been a pleasure to have you in my classes. I teach at the advanced level when I’m not conducting research,” he said. “Would you like a small tour of the facilities?”
“Sure, why not? I’m dying anyway—
A hard cough wracked through me. I looked down at my hand and noticed that my skin was starting to pale.
I stumbled as I tried to follow after the professor on the little tour.
The last thing I felt was his hand on my arm before I passed out.
Ow.
I woke up to some pain in my mouth and a dry feeling in my throat.
Moving my arms… wait. Why can’t I move my arms?
I opened my eyes to see that I was strapped onto a lab bench with an IV in my arm. Trailing the path of the needle back to the bag, I saw that the contents were filled with blood.
Blood?
No… no no no! It can’t be…
I started hyperventilating. This can’t be happening.
I looked to one side of the room to see Wes leaning over a microscope. I looked to the other side and saw someone laying on another lab bench.
It was a handsome man, probably the finest man I’ve ever seen in my short life. He looked so peaceful, was he asleep?
I heard whispers coming from the doctor so I turned my attention back to him.
“I did everything you told me. I fed her human blood after you woke her up.”
Wow. Looks like the spirits got their way after all.
“I see that you’re awake.” Wes stalked toward me. “I don’t know who the voices in my head are but I’m glad they led me to you. I thought I was going to need to take some drastic measures to get another test subject.”
“Test subject?”
“Oh yes, I meant what I said about research. Our test subjects just aren’t ever human,” he said with a wolfish grin. “Vampires exist Miss Bennett and they are toxic to the human population. However, their blood is very interesting in its healing properties. Alas, eradicating the menace is our top priority.”
“Our?” I asked.
“Ahh yes, the Augustines. Our esteemed secret society at Whitmore. Anyway, I plan to train your body to reject human blood and instead crave vampire blood. That way, slowly but surely, the vampire race will be extinguished as I keep turning people.”
Why is it that the villain always goes on this monologue about their plans instead of actually doing it?
“When your body is a little more accustomed to it’s new undead state, I will switch the human blood in your IV out for that of our friend over there.”
I didn’t need to look over to know he meant the unconscious guy laying next to me. Should have known he was a vampire.
I have to do something. I need to get out of here somehow. Maybe I can scare him into abandoning this project. Maybe I could just kill him.
Ehh, murder is what got me into this mess.
Instead of bringing Wes’ attention back to me by struggling in my bonds, I decided to try something else. Remembering that I wasn’t just a vampire, I tried to focus. Usually I could just do magic without having to concentrate that hard.
I closed my eyes and focused on staying still, I needed to find a new magical center. Grams told me that I would have to draw on myself to do magic so I tried to tap into… me? I don’t know.
All of a sudden, my body started to buzz. The overwhelming need to flee causing energy to bubble inside of my very being.
“Phasmatos incendia,” I whispered.
The spell worked but it was weak. All I managed to do was melt the metal cuffs keeping me in place.
The molten steel was hot but it didn’t burn much, I guess that’s a perk of being a vampire. Cue massive eye roll.
I thought my hate for vampires would make me crazy with the need to murder each one I saw, but all I felt was anger toward Wes. He captured me and planned to turn me into some freak of nature! Like I wasn’t one already.
I have enough to deal with as it is, I didn’t need this.
I tried to get up but I was weak.
I ripped the needle out of my arm and snatched the blood bag from the metal stand it was hanging on.
I drained the entire thing but it wasn’t enough. I could feel fangs trying to force themselves out of my gums.
I whimpered in discomfort.
“How did you get out!” Wes exclaimed. He was clearly startled, so much so that he gave himself a paper cut frantically riffling through his work.
I was overwhelmed by the smell and the need to drain him dry.
All of a sudden, I found myself in his personal space without the slightest clue how I got there.
His eyes widened when he realized his fate was sealed.
I smirked before tearing into his neck.
To say I enjoyed the experience was an understatement. The blood flooding into my mouth with each swallow was giving me life in a way I never knew possible.
My heart rate went up. The bloodlust was taking over. If it wasn’t for the sound of a groan, I would’ve killed Wes right then and there.
I looked over to the vampire who was just now coming to. Glancing back at my captor, I noticed that he was breathing slowly and definitely out of it.
Dragging him over to the other lab bench, I released the other vampire from his bonds and pushed Wes’ wrist in his direction.
Not needing any prompting, the mystery captive drank deeply from the doctor. Sinking my teeth back into Wes’ neck, I drank too.
Soon, all that could be heard was slurping sounds and the occasional euphoric moan as we drained the man before us dry.
ns 172.70.34.7da2
