by Rachel Lenna
come down…”
“Wait I have fangs too?” She interrupts full shoving her fingers around her mouth feeling.
“… Yes. They only come out when you are feeding or in high adrenaline danger but…” I say patiently. She continues to play with her mouth as I continue talking. “A reborn can’t make another vampire so you have some time to practice.”
“Why do I get the distinct impression that being a vampire isn’t as easy in real life as it is in the movies?” She mumble and grumbles.
“Because the movies are like 2 hours of your time. This is real life.”
She pokes her tongue out at me. “This is not real life this is a dream. I am fully expecting to wake up and see it’s all a dream sometime soon.”
“Well that explains her calmness.” Sam mutters. I shoot him a look.
“Sav we need to get moving, it’s been about four hours already. Your thirst will peak soon.”
“Okay, okay fine.” She says. “So fangs come down when I’m about to feed, next?”
“When you do bite you need to make sure u go straight down. Whatever you do don’t graze them with your fangs or you will have to kill them.”
“I don’t have to kill people?”
“No.” Sam answers this time. “Our venom knocks them out, we take what we need then lick the area, the venom on our tongues only acts like a healing agent and heals the spots to invisible. It also erases the memory of the moment to. It’s like a fuzzy dream to them.”
“Oh okay, what else?”
“That’s it for now, just bite down straight and lick the bite mark afterwards.”
Savannah
Oh my god I’m a vampire! Oh my god I’m a vampire! Oh my god I’m a vampire!
“What about the way I move?” I ask, completely keeping it together on the outside. Meanwhile I feel like I need a paper bag on the inside.
Oh my god I’m a vampire! Oh my god I’m a vampire! Oh my god I’m a vampire!
“Do you think you can handle going out into the woods?” Dominic asks and I have this strange urge to do whatever he says. I have been fighting it the whole time we have been here. It’s almost like my body is pulled to his involuntarily.
“I can try.” I agree, compromising and keeping my cool. Oh my god I’m a vampire! Not cool! Not cool! This isn’t real! I’m dreaming I have to be dreaming!
“Okay, now remember fluid, slow human speed movements. Think snail.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“That’s how fast humans move compared to us.” Sam chuckles, clearly the disgust is all over my face.
“Geez,” I say, mocking the snail by moving so slow that I am standing still. “How do you people cope being around us?”
“You mean them.” Sam says gently with a look to Dominic. I don’t like that look. He can take that look right back.
“What’s the look for Sam?”
“Wow, she is a fast turner.” He says mouth wide open in shock.
“What are you on about?” I frown, thinking this ability to rapid fire back at them with the attitude of a mule is a perk I must say. If I have indeed become a vampire – Oh my god I’m a vampire! Oh my god I’m a vampire! Oh my god I’m a vampire! – Then I will admit I like the feisty attitude with metaphorical balls to match. I feel somewhat like Sophie behaves and can finally understand why she does it. It is the best feeling in the world, standing up for yourself. Knowing they respect you because you do to. “Well?” I prompt when all three boys are looking anywhere but at me.
“The speed at which someone fully transforms makes a difference to their strength as a vamp.” Dominic explains when everyone else is busy doing things suddenly. Sam clearing a path to the door, Tyson letting the rabbit go.
“Okay?” I gesture at him for more information. “There’s different strength vampires? Aren’t you all the same?”
He lets out a loud sigh. “You said you only wanted to know what you needed to yeah?”
“Yeah...”
“Well that’s something for later.”
No now! “Okay.” I agree. He’s right I did say that and we have been in this cabin far too long. “Let’s do this.” I bounce up and down, clapping my hands like a MMA fighter does before a fight. On my third jump I fly up into the air and hit my head on the roof before I come crumbling back down to the ground, landing awkwardly on my side.
“Savannah!” The boys cry all rushing to me.
“Well ow.” I say shaking the debris off. “That was unexpected and just a little unpleasant.”
“You’re not hurt?” Dominic practically gets in my face, checking me over.
“Er, no.” I reply, getting up and moving away from him. This tingling sensation shot through my body when he touched me and to be honest it’s a little freaky. Too much too soon. “Should I be able to do that?” I ask pointing to the hole in the roof.
“Not until after the 24 hours.” Sam says, looking at Tyson. “How long has it been?”
“The time is almost eleven.” Dominic replies after a quick peak of his phone. “So almost five hours.”
“What no voodoo inbuilt time sensor?” I mock. God hear the attitude on me! Oh wait that’s right I’m a vampire now. “You seem to have everything else.”
The boys ignore me, all deep in thought it seems. “So it’s only been five hours and she can already jump.” Sam says more to Dominic and Tyson then me.
“Yes.” Tyson says. “But if that’s the case…”
“Then…” Sam adds and they both turn to stare at me.
“Then what?” I demand. I look at Dominic who is staring at me with an expression I cannot read.
“It means your powerful Savannah. Very powerful.” Dominic whispers and I just frown.
“I am so confused.” I mumble. “Powerful? What is that supposed to mean? Why do you people have to talk in cryptic terms?” Wait! Who cares! Food! “Actually you know what.” I raise my hands in surrender. “No more talking. Let’s go hunting. Too much talk too much staying here too much doing nothing.”
“Okay!” The boys all chorus, seemingly a little too eager to let it drop. Let it go Savannah. You’re a vampire remember? That means immortal… so there is a lot of time ahead. Hunt now facts later! I follow them out, concentrating hard, practicing my snail moves – they are nothing like Jagger!
As we step outside two things happen almost simultaneously. First I am hit by a large array of smells that make my nostrils flare and senses kick into over drive, and second, I freak out at just what I can see. Everything in minute detail from the veins in the grass blades right up to the individual fibres on trees several metres away.
“Oh my god!” I exclaim. “You see like this all the time?”
“Yes.” Dominic says. He is standing next to me and for once it is a comfortable stance. “We see like this all the time.”
“How do you cope?” I exclaim looking around everywhere. I gasp in awe as I look up to the sky and gasp, the moon is so clear and vivid it feels like I am looking through a telescope. I can see things – stars further then the human naked eye could see so the sky looks like it’s lit up by fireflies! – I can also see the satellites moving overhead too, so close and clear I think I am going to go cross eyed looking at them.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Dominic asks instead of answering. I look at him out of the corner of my eye, he is looking up as well. Standing still beside me just far enough away that he’s no in my bubble but close enough I feel he is with me. I look back at the sky and nod silently in response. “It’s one of my favourite things to do at night. Look at the stars and count them.”
“It is beautiful.” I agree grinning. “I guess it will be one perk to this crazy madness.”
“You get used to it by the way.” He says a moment later. “Most reborns’ have about three or four weeks as their eyes adjust slowly. You my dear are apparently special so you are coping it all at once.”
“Dominic I have no idea what that means.” I say looking at him again, s
eriously. “Should I really worry about it?”
He looks at me and I can tell he is thinking. “No.” He answers finally. “Right now let’s not worry, let’s hunt.”
I nod wordlessly. A moment just happened between us that I know is important. I know I hate him a little less right now and that he is the Dominic I met out on the football field. Hot, charming and a true gentlemen. One that before my world was rudely interrupted I would have fought for just because something in me wanted him as mine.
He holds out his hand and I take it after a moment’s pause. We look into each other’s eyes and feel this weird vibe zip through us.
“T lets hold back and let them do this bit on their own.” Sam barely whispers but I hear it anyway.
“Way ahead of ya buddy.” Tyson replies, just as quietly. “I Smell some deer over there, let’s go.”
With that they quietly slip away and I am left alone with Dominic. I feel the tension skyrocket again and know I shouldn’t feel insecure but this is Dominic. And me. Frumpy dumpy me who can’t keep a guy to save her life. Um Savannah you’re a vampire. Focus here!
Several moments pass before he breaks the tension by tugging me down the hill. We travel silently – at human speed so I can practice – reaching the bottom of Mount Cookie in about twenty minutes. Neither of us speak, both going through our own thoughts. The trees are starting to thin out and I have a moment of panic, “Dominic I don’t know if I can do this.” I say just as we stop right at the edge of the college. “What if I really hurt someone? Or bite them the wrong way?”
“Savannah, baby girl, you will