Late Night Scene

Joe's Point of View

I wondered how many other vampires felt this much shame after their first kill. Vampire. How could I be so used to that word already? They were mythical creatures that were created to live in storybooks and could never really exist. But the pain had been real. And the hunger had been real. And the frozen, drained body of that poor girl had been so horrifically real.

I could think clearly now. Had her life been worth that? Was my hunger more important than her family, her future? The hunter in my head argued against my moral code to defend the kill. I was astonished- how could any part of me justify murder?

I held my breath the moment I caught a whiff of fresh blood. I could smell the warmth of two humans that had entered the room, and everything changed in an instant. The mess of curls entered my peripheral vision, and I couldn't believe I'd managed to forget my own brother. I realized that I'd completely forgotten who I was; my whole life had been replaced by a blank slate to prepare for this new existence.

I remembered now. I remembered running away from my family before they could discover Nick and I as lovers. I remembered Nick. Every kiss, every arguement, every intimate moment alone in a locked bedroom with the lights off.

He looked disheveled now- dirty and unkempt and beautiful. I was relieved to find my physical and emotional attraction to him hadn't changed. It was different, though. He'd never been mouth-watering in this way.

But I still loved him.

"Nick." My instinct to reach out to him was stopped by the tight shackles that had once again been fastened around my wrists. They were irritating, but I was still grateful to them for keeping Nick safe. The same restraints had him contained, and our female chaperones left the room. 'Going to sleep,' my mind reasoned.

"Joe," he responded quietly. Another spirit-lifting discovery- my cravings for his blood weren't any stronger than the familiar desire to plant my lips on his. "You're a..." He stopped, but I knew what he meant. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to say it.

"Yeah."

"Is it permanent?"

"I... think so."

Nick's Point of View

I knew it was a stupid question, but it was the only hope I had. It all seemed so surreal, like we'd stumbled into a different world.

"They said you were going out to eat," I remembered. "Did you?"

He seemed hesitant to answer. "Yes."

"So you killed someone."

"Yes," he answered again, his eyes never leaving mine. The idea made my stomach twist. Joe was the most caring person I'd ever known. He was the guy you knew would always be there, and who loved everyone and everything. He'd never even been in a fight, and here he'd taken a life.

"Are you still you?" To me, that was the most important question.

His chocolate eyes were pitiful as he answered. "I think so. I hope so. I still love you."

I couldn't help but smile at those words. "I love you, Joseph Adam. Dead or alive. Are you hungry now?"

He shrugged. "Not too bad. The hunger is... different. Hard to measure. I think I'm safe, though. With you, at least. I wouldn't hurt you."

I nodded, looking at his chains and then down at my own. "How close do you think we could get?"