What You Deserve

Waking up, I noticed Frank wasn't in the room this morning. Instead, I could hear him talking to someone outside the bedroom door.

"Don't say that," I heard his voice hiss, "it wasn't something that..."

Someone said something that I couldn't hear, but I thought that it was Gerard. Then again, all I could hear was mumbling.

Ray's voice broke the short silence that had lifted into the air, "it's only right."

"I know, but still.." Frank's voice shook oddly. Was he laughing? Another voice said something, and Frank responded. "Yes, I get it. I get it."

Sighing, I decided that eavesdropping wasn't the best idea, and curled up under the covers again. I always got caught when I eavesdropped here. To bother now would be stupid. Finding a comfortable position, I shut my eyes and let sleep take over.

No dreams flitted through my mind this time. No Eve. No Jamia. No Alicia. Where was everyone? I felt like I was dreaming, but there was nothing there to dream about. Maybe a black room. So dark that I couldn't even tell if I was in a dream or only half asleep.

Once again, my eyes fluttered open, and I sat up, crawling out of bed and locating a pair of clothes to wear for the day.

After a few minutes, I came to realize I had no long-sleeved shirts to cover the cloth on my arm. It was stained through with a little red, and I didn't want to remind Frank of last night.

Eventually, I found myself opening the closet, and pulling out the same black jacket that I had been eying the day before. It felt odd to be wearing it, but I closed the closet, and looked toward the door, hearing footsteps outside of it.

I smiled as Frank opened the door to his room, thinking that I was going to be greeted with a friendly air, but instead I didn't even have a chance to take another breath, before I realized his arms were wrapped around me, and his cheek was pressed to mine. Worry filled me as I heard his shaky breaths, and I thought vaguely about how I hadn't thought about vampires breathing, really.

Then he said something I realized subconsciously that I had never wanted to hear. "Jade... you're free."

My eyes widened, and I could hear my heartbeat begin to race. "What?"

"You're free..." he repeated, and pulled away from me, reaching into his pocket for something as the thought of what he was saying was slowly trying to drown myself in my own head.

"But..."

"Here.." he mumbled lowly, pressing money into one of my hands, "everyone thinks you're better off away from us. Far away."

I looked at the money for a moment, then met his stare. It seemed fairly emotionless, and different than moments before. Did he not really care if I left, then?

"Frank, I don't wan-"

"There's plenty of money to buy a plane ticket to wherever and a hotel..." Frank interrupted, and pulled me close, pressing his lips to my neck softly, and mumbling something I couldn't understand. He shifted, pulling away from me, as I felt him rush across the room, to a dresser, and pull out something. Within the next second, he was beside me again, holding a small silver chained necklace that had a heart locket hanging from it. "Put this on.." he mumbled. I couldn't object, as I felt his hands slip around my neck, clipping the chain in the back, "and don't take it off..."

I bit my lip, staring at him as he pulled away from me, and felt his hand wrap around my wrist, pulling me along, though I was definitely not willing. I felt a few eyes on me, as I made my way through the house, and toward the door, dragged along by Frank.

Gerard. Ray. Bob...

People I trusted. That I would be losing. My friends. Or at least, I considered them that.

I tried to keep up with Frank, but it seemed his pace was a lot faster than my own. Once we were several blocks away from his house, I realized his pace was too fast to keep up with, as I stumbled over my own feet, and into him.

"Sorry..." I mumbled, finding myself choking on the small word. I wouldn't let myself crumble in front of him. I couldn't just do that.

He turned, staring at me for a minute, his eyes seeming nearly black, if not. His hand found it's way to my shoulder, "Jade..." he mumbled lowly, "I don't like you."

Those words made my heart sink, and I fought the urge to let tears slip down my cheeks, and to fall onto the ground. "But..."

"I never really did... You're stupid not to realize that," I searched his eyes for reasons, but couldn't find anything among the sea of black. "You were only here because Gerard wanted you to stay. I wanted your blood, and I got enough of it," he practically hissed. "All I needed was for you to offer it..."

I blinked away the tears that were forming in the corners of my eyes, and just like that, he was gone. I was left alone. A shiver slipped down my spine, and I put my hand against a nearby building's wall, using it to lead myself on for a few feet, before I felt myself slip onto my knees, and stare at the ground.

Frank wasn't that type of person. He was sweet. He would never do that just for me to let him have my blood. Would he? Why would he? I couldn't see him doing that. Not to me.

No. Frank wouldn't do that do me. He would never hurt me that much. Would he?

A shiver slipped through my spine, as I remembered the first sentence I had heard Frank speak. Words of a bloodthirsty creature.

"Depends... is she our next meal?"