Say Your Prayers, You're Really Gonna Need Them.

★ ★ ★ - Indicates point of view change.

-

I didn’t know quite what to do as I sat staring at him in disbelief, he kept his own gaze straight ahead.

“Don’t do anything stupid Ruse, I don’t want to hurt you so don’t make it a necessity... please.”

I swallowed, my throat felt like I’d spent the last 3 hours eating glass and I pondered whether or not he actually meant it.

“I do.” he said out loud.

“Excuse me?” I asked, rather shell shocked.

“I meant what I said.”

“But I didn’t say anything about your intentions.”

“You didn’t have to, your minds whirling and I can hear snippets, like a broken radio transmission.”

“Are you shitting me?” I guffawed.

He looked at me then, “I think we’ve proved I'm not the lying type Ruse.” he replied before turning back to face the road.

“Take me home, please?”

“No.”

That felt like a blow to the stomach, I needed to breathe to not overly alarm myself.

“Then where are we going?” I questioned.

“My abode.” he said with a small laugh.

“But why... we’ve spoken, we have nothing more to discuss; would you like me to recap so you know I’ve been paying attention?” I asked trying to keep my voice from showing my sense of hysteria.

“Who said anything about discussing?” he asked flippantly.

“You let me out of this car, right now Harlan.” I shouted, trying to seem as though I held all sorts of authority.

He just kept his eyes on the road and remained silent.

★★★

To be honest with you, I didn’t know what I was actually planning.

But right now I wasn’t thinking with my head, more or less with hunters’ instinct.

All I wanted was to take her to mine and literally rip out every artery that held blood under her skin and make sure I didn’t spill a drop.

I was almost intoxicated by the smell she was giving off, heightened by the fear that was mingling with it.

You see the problem with being a vampire is that we’re like sharks in a sense, fear makes us feel powerful... makes us chase and play harder. And thirst more for the kill and the kill will taste better.

But I couldn’t think like this, I didn’t know what to do anymore.

Ruse had quietened down after the initial outbursts; she must have noticed the way my knuckles tightened on the wheel every time she spoke and misread those signals as anger, but it wasn’t. It was me trying to stay contained.

As I pulled up into my driveway I tried to think up a sane way to get Ruse into the house without any snags, God knows if a neighbour saw I might have unnecessary visits from the law, something I could defiantly do without.

“Ruse, I need you now to be perfectly adult with me and co-operate with what I ask of you.” I said in my most gentle, but still strict voice.

“Do you honestly think I plan for a millisecond to make this easier for you and do what you fucking ask of me?” she seethed.

I sighed in exasperation, “No Ruse, I didn’t think you would.” I said, as I stood before shutting and locking my door.

I walked around the car, taking deep gulps of air to try and clear my buzzing head.

And when I got round to the passenger’s side, I unlocked the door and was met by Ruse already trying to struggle away from me.

“You enjoy making hard work of something so straight forward don’t you?” I sighed.

“Fuck you.” she shouted trying to pound me with her fists, but even I didn’t have the heart to tell her I couldn’t actually feel a thing.

I dragged her out as gently as I could, pinning her arms to her side and wrapping my hand round her mouth.

★★★

I was now back in his house, and Harlan was jostling me up the stairs, his hands wrapped firmly round my waist and arms making it impossible for me to try and prolong this further.

I even tried digging my heels into the floor but it was useless, like a toddler trying to wrestle a lion.

He pushed me into the bedroom, letting me go quickly causing me to stumble.

I took a deep breath but before I could move, the door slammed shut behind me and I heard the lock of door click.

“What the fuck?!” I screamed, fists hammering against the solid wood door.

“Please don’t do this, don’t just leave me in here!” I pleaded sliding down to the floor as my whole body erupted in sobs.

But it was clear he wasn’t outside, wasn’t listening.

I climbed up on the bed and pulled my body into the foetal position all the while my body shuddering from the tears .

The last thing I remember was my eyes getting so blurred that it only made sense to close them.

-

I was somewhere else, somewhere familiar but untraceable.

I couldn’t think straight and my vision was all over the place, I didn’t want to move but the fact that there was a puddle of blood forming round me made me think maybe now was the time to go.

I looked around on my body as I walked trying to find the source of where the blood was coming from, but I couldn’t see anything and felt no pain.

I was very aware of the fact that people where now turning to look, most with disgust but some faces sparked with interest and as I hurried along, the curious ones followed.

But was it honestly curiosity? Or was it something more ominous. The look in their eyes made me unsure, I felt unsafe.

I picked up the pace, maybe if I kept moving they would become fed up and leave me alone?

But the blood was so heavy now, and my eyes were so blurry I couldn’t see a thing, I was weak and tired.

And I felt arms snake around my waist and for a second just as my sight focused I saw the prettiest eyes and a glimmering smile before my whole body erupted in the pain caused by several starving mouths.