Pure: A Paranormal Romance

by D. L. McKinsey

  My brain screamed for me to run. However, a part me felt he would enjoy the chase far too much.

  Besides, where the hell would I run to?!

  His smile dropped when he realized it didn't intimidate me the way it should have and then he took a predatory step towards us.

  Again, I didn't move.

  He cocked his head to the side curiously as his black eyes met mine. Were they really black or was the lack of light playing tricks on me?

  In a flash, he extended his leg in a swift kick to my core. Unfortunately, the girl in my arms took the pain of the kick, but the sheer force sent us both flying back down the stairs. My back and head crashed into the cement wall. Sliding down to the floor, the pain began immediately. I tried to open my eyes, but spots danced in my line of sight. Closing my eyes tightly, I forced the pain away to regain my vision. When I opened them, the sight in front of me made me wish I hadn't.

  The man was holding the girl I tried to save from him. Her back was to his chest and he had an arm around her neck, holding her in place. Tears leaked from her eyes as she looked at me in utter defeat. I felt my own well up as I stared back helplessly. The man pushed her head to the side, completely exposing her neck. I watched in horror, not sure what to do. I tried to stand but fell as soon as pressure was put on my right ankle.

  “No need to rush, fat one. You’re next.” His cold deadly voice froze the air in my lungs. I gazed into the deep black orbs he had for eyes, and I knew, without a doubt, that he wasn't human.

  He smiled at the horrified expression on my face. Then suddenly, razor sharp teeth came out of his mouth. I screamed and scrambled back towards the wall, clutching my chest to keep my heart inside. He laughed, amused by my hysterics. Right in front of me, he did something I never thought I would witness in a million years. This man or demon, or whatever he was, sunk his teeth into her neck. My body was shaking so hard, it was making me dizzy. Tears fell from my eyes at the sight of him draining the blood from her small body. The gurgling sounds he made while drinking her blood caused vomit to rush from my mouth. Guess there was something in there after all. I continued to gag even when nothing was coming up.

  “This can't be real! Please, wake up. Please, wake up, Ana!” I was screaming, my voice mixed with sobs. I was so scared and shocked, I couldn't think straight.

  I began to crawl away from the wall, praying with every step this cannibal was too distracted to notice my movements. Halfway to the stairs, I heard a loud crack and stiffened in fear again. I turned my head in time to see that he had snapped her neck and dropped her body in a lifeless heap on the cold floor. I wailed a high-pitched, ear-throbbing scream as I scrambled to the stairs with all the strength I could muster.

  Please, god, I don't want to die here! Not like this by some inhuman freak!

  I made it to the bottom step when the killer yanked me up by the back of my hair and tossed me to the ground. My back arched in pain at the impact with the hard floor.

  Oh god, I was going to die. He killed her. I was going to be next.

  I tried with all my might to scoot back, sliding my body against floor. He watched me for a brief moment before he stepped on my broken ankle. I fell back, howling in pain. He simply laughed at my cries and added more pressure to my ankle.

  I choked out big sloppy sobs, trying to get my leg from underneath him. My efforts were useless. He finally stopped, and I began taking deep breaths in an attempt to regain my bearings. I felt pressure over my midsection, and I opened my eyes to him straddling me. He glared at me with a cold hungry look in his eyes before flashing his horrific fangs in a sick smile.

  “I hate getting interrupted when I feed, fat one, and you interrupted me. So, now… now you must pay,” he said as he leaned closer to my face, allowing his blood-smelling breath to fan over me. My stomach tightened in fear, and I was terrified of what was about to happen to me.

  “Pl-please, I-I'm s-sorry. I don't want to d-die.” My voice trembled at every word I spoke. From the glint in his dark eyes, I knew he was enjoying my reactions to him. He took one long skinny finger and glided it across my cheek. The coldness of it caused me to flinch.

  “There, there, fat one. You shouldn't fear death. We all have to die sometime,” he said. I opened my mouth to respond, but I was too slow. With a speed I didn’t register, he grabbed the back of my head and lifted my neck to his mouth. He dove his teeth into the awaiting skin all in one motion. The pain was immense…

  Chapter 4

  Dying Hurts

  Ana

  I thrashed around uselessly, attempting to break from his hold. A red, hot, burning throb radiated from the spot on my neck were his teeth sunk. I felt the blood pool out as he greedily took it in mouthfuls. He dropped my head back to the floor, lifting his face to the ceiling in complete ecstasy, moaning as he did.

  “Hm-mmm, what are you, fat one? You taste magnificent.”

  I barely heard him. I was too focused on holding my neck to keep the rest of my blood in my body where it belonged. In wonderment, he began to stroke his disgusting finger across my face again.

  “I will enjoy draining the life out of you, girl.” He told me while still stroking my face.

  His words penetrated deep into me, and I felt something snap inside. I didn't know if it was instinctive or just the fight reflex kicking in since flight wasn't an option. However, I didn't ponder it much longer. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, I yanked his wrist midstroke, took it into my mouth, and with all my strength, bit down on the spot where I thought his vein lied.

  My teeth roughly pierced his thick skin, and warm blood flowed into my mouth. He gaped at me, shocked by my unexpected insane-like action.

  There was something else that surprised me, and it was not the fact that I completely lost my mind and bit someone. No, it was the taste of his blood. It was sweet and bitter like dark chocolate while also smooth and thick like honey. I'd tasted my own blood from the numerous times I bit the inside of my cheek from chewing too hard. It always tasted metallic, like copper. It was never sweet though.

  Another strange phenomenon came to me as I drank his blood: the feeling of strength. The wound on my neck could literally be felt closing and the burning cooled to a dull ache.

  He finally snapped out of his stupor and angrily snatched his wrist from my mouth. He then backhanded me across the face. My head whipped forcibly to the side as the smack echoed around us. A little blood flew from from the split lip he just gave me.

  “HOW DARE YOU TAKE BLOOD FROM ME!” He roared viscously. He jumped off of me with grace and swiftly landed a kick to my gut. I would have been impressed by his ballerina-like movements if he wasn’t the current bane of my existence.

  I clenched over in pain, clutching my stomach, willing it to stop. Damn, that hurt like hell.

  He continued to pace the room, ignoring my cries. After a few minutes, the pain decreased and I could almost breathe normally again. That was until the bastard came back and kicked me again.

  Damn! It hurt more the second time. I guess Kim was wrong; fat didn't offer extra protection. My breath came out in wheezes as I fought the pain and tears once more.

  He reached down, gripping me by the throat, holding me midair. Again, I would have been amazed by his strength if I wasn't choking to death.

  “You stupid, stupid, girl,” he said, bringing my face close to his. The anger in his black holes had me petrified.

  “I would rip your head off right now! For what you have done! But I have a better idea. You see, because I drank your blood and then you stole mine, the change will begin at any moment.”

  I clawed at the hand that was still around my neck, barely listening to him as I forced myself to stay awake. It was becoming harder with the darkness creeping around the edges of my vision.

  “Prepare yourself, fat one, for this change will have you begging for death I long to give you.” He finished and then dropped me to the ground.

  I greedily took huge mouthfuls of
air into my aching lungs.

  “Don’t worry, fat child. I'll be back to finish what I started.” He stated with absolution.

  I leaned up to look at him. Only, he was gone; vanished without a sound.

  Once I caught my breath, I checked the wound on my neck and felt that the punctures have already closed. Impossible! How in the world did that happen? An image flashed back to me biting that man and drinking his blood like a lunatic, but I shook it off as desperation to live.

  Slowly, I stood carefully, keeping most of my weight off my ankle. It was time to get out of here before he made good on his promise.

  Once I was on my feet, I felt it. My heart thumped hard against my chest. I clutched it in an attempt to calm it when the thumping happened again. This time, I actually felt my heart against the palm of my hand. The pain was unnatural. It was so otherworldly that it brought me to my knees.

  What was happening to me? I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the pain. In a matter of seconds, it stopped, and I let out a sigh of relief.

  Gathering courage, I stood once more, but my heart wasn't having any of that. A mean angry thud rocked my whole body, causing me to collapse on the ground. An unfamiliar heat began to course through me. Sweat beads covered every inch of my skin as if a fire was inside working its way out.

  I ripped my shirt off and wiggled out of my pants to cool down. Only, it didn't help. My heart pounded again. This time, if possible, was even harder than the last. I saw its outline against my chest. My eyes widened in awe at the unexplainable occurrence

  The burning rose to an unbearable level as I screamed and withered on the ground. My veins felt like molten lava was pooling within them instead of blood. They pulsed so hard, the blue veins were already pressed under my skin as if they were trying to escape from me.

  I screamed in pure agony as the blue veins covering my body burned me from the inside out. It hurt so much that I started to pray for it to just all stop.

  But it didn't.

  For hours, I lay there crying, screaming, and worst of all, burning.

  The morning sun peaked in the small window, adding light to my hell.

  All night, I was here, and yet no one had heard my cries for help. A sense of hopelessness washed over me at that moment. I was going to die here. This, I knew now. Every minute, my heart beat slower, and every second, I realized my slow agonizing death was near. The burning hadn’t stopped, but after being in pain for hours upon hours, my mind finally checked out.

  The worst part was the pain taking me to the edge of unconsciousness but never letting me fall over. I could still feel my body. However, I couldn't move it. So, here I lay, staring longingly at the window, awaiting death.

  Just when I began to think the burning was the worst of it, a new pang striked. A sharp bolt shot from my head and extended to my entire body, causing me to arch from the ground. My tired voice found itself, and a scream left me in great force. My hands instinctively grasped my head when it began to pound. Fresh tears sprang from my eyes when my scalp started itching. I pulled my hands away and shouted in horror at the sight of my hair in them.

  All my hair was falling out! No, please, this couln't be happening!

  When I touched my head again, the bald spots beneath my fingertips gave me the answer I didn't want.

  Why the hell did I bite him! I was so stupid!

  The pain I was in had to be a side effect of drinking foreign blood.

  My inner thoughts seized when my skin started to rip and stretch. I looked down at my skin, expecting to see it ripped opened with blood everywhere, but it was still covered with sickly veins. My burning insides twisted and knotted, literally giving me the image of them being reshaped and pulled apart.

  The pain became horrific and unbearable. My body reacted by lashing out and convulsing wildly. Even if I tried, I would have been helpless to stop the tremors. I was screaming so loudly, I barely recognized my voice, but when I did, I realized I was begging for death.

  He was right.

  This was the worst experience of my life, and I could no longer bear it. With a thrashing body, I cursed the heavens, begging for death to end my suffering.

  My pleas must have fallen on deaf ears.

  My eyes blurred; losing sight as thick heavy tears escaped them. Thick tears? My body slowed its thrashing long enough for me to acknowledge the burning in my eyes. I blinked rapidly to clear them, but it didn’t work. Instead, I used shaky hands to wipe them clean. The leaking substance was not normal wet tears but was, instead, thick and sticky. I blinked harder, forcing myself to see anything, and slowly, I made out the outline of my hand, then fingers, and finally, the black tar-like substance coating them.

  I opened my mouth to shriek, but all of a sudden, my throat closed up. My hands instinctively flew to my neck, clutching it. My windpipe crushed beneath my chest, blood spluttering from my mouth. My body thrashed against the floor once more with the increasing agony.

  This was the final stage.

  I could feel that it was near.

  Death—that cold heartless bitch.

  The cool stillness of the room did little to ease my scorching flesh.

  My body went completely still. I lay paralyzed, taking short erratic breaths.

  My head lolled to the side. Blood and teeth dripped out from my open lips.

  I couldn't cry; my blind eyes were leaking tar.

  I couldn't scream; my pipes were crushed.

  My hair and teeth had fallen out.

  My body was burning alive from the inside.

  Damn, dying hurt.

  This feeling was worse than any death. I always imagined death to be quick and easy. Of course, the fat ugly loser that I was couldn't even get that right. So here I lay alone; cold but burning patiently, waiting for death to make his arrival. I wondered if death was a man or woman; a bitch or a bastard. Maybe, it was neither. Hell, it could just be an entity that just got kicks out of watching lives end. And what a horrible end I was experiencing.

  My heart banged against one last rib, splitting time and sending a lightning bolt of pain throughout my body, effectively ending my tortured life.

  Goodbye, Jace.

  Chapter 5

  New Vampire

  Marcos was still fuming with anger from the events two days ago. For the first time in the last fifty years, he decided to hunt instead of use feeders. He had it all planned out; perfect isolated spot, beautiful girl. It should have been easy as breathing. That was until that stupid girl interrupted. If there was one thing vampires hated, it was being interrupted during a feeding. To add insult to injury, when he went on to drain her life, she bit him. The audacity! The rage inside him began to boil up again, and he slammed his fist against the oak wood desk, effectively splitting it in half. Great! Now the desk needed to be replaced.

  He stood from his broken desk and paced his large office, his thoughts turning back to the fat girl. There were two questions that swarmed his head like angry hornets. First, why was her blood so sweet? Most human blood was sweet to a vampire, but hers, however, seemed different; more rejuvenating. There was power in it, but not from being a witch, of course. Witches and their filthy spells and foolish crafts. Hundreds of years ago they “blessed”, as they called it, their bloodlines, repelling vampires from their blood. That fact alone ruled her out as a witch. But he couldn’t shake the feeling something about her blood was different. It fascinated him.

  The second question that bothered him was how on earth did she knew to take his blood and start the transition? At first, he wanted to chop it up to survival instinct, but her actions, combined with the taste of her blood, put him on alert.

  “Master, I’m here for your afternoon feeding.” Marcos whipped his head in the direction of the small voice. There, at the entrance of his office, was a battered, weak human woman. She was short and scrawny. Her hair was dark blonde and unruly. Her clothes were mere rags, worn and dirty. He shivered in disgust as he approached one of his snacks. He couldn�
�t be bothered to remember her name. She was, after all, merely food to him.

  He watched her for a moment, taking in her timid stance and hung head. If he had a heart, he might have actually pitied her. If being the key word. Before she even took her next shaky breath, he swiftly lifted her by the neck and sunk his awaiting fangs into it. He took everything he could without killing her before dropping her unconscious body to the ground.

  Damn, he was going to have to do something about strengthening his slaves, he thought. The blood loss weakened them to the point of fainting. He stepped over the body, leaving her on his office floor. He had more important matters to attend to. The plan was to see how the change was coming along with girl. At this point, she should be suffering good and well. A smile crept on his face as he thought of the pain she was enduring.

  Served her right for stealing from him. In all his 500 years, such a thing never occurred.

  “Guards!” He yelled over the walkie-talkie to speak to them all at once. “Prepare the manor for my leave. This time, Seb and Talon will accompany me. Report to the main doors at once.” He ordered with authority. Several ‘yes masters’ were heard in response.

  Shortly after, he and two of his best guards were off to the measly town the girl was left in. He had to get some answers, and if it turned out that she wasn’t of any use to him, he would simply enjoy the show of Seb and Talon killing her. Seb was still human, so the feeding would be performed by Talon and himself. However, once her change was completed, her blood won't be as sweet anymore, having been tainted by immortality.

  The town was hours away by car, so they didn’t arrive until nightfall. The three of them stood like shadows around the abandoned house. Marcos inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of death that clung in the air. With a brief nod, he signaled the others that it was time to check on the girl that puzzled him. Without a sound, they entered the torn-down house and descended the stairs to the foul-smelling basement where he left her.