Dead in the Water

(Amanda’s POV)
“I’m sorry you had to see that to believe me.” Brendon said getting off me and extending his hand to help me off the floor.

I glanced at his hand then took it. I looked around inside of the warehouse. There was a cot in a corner and a small cabinet beside it.

“You sleep here?” I asked confused.

“No. You should recognize this place though.” Brendon replied as I watched him retract his fangs.

I looked around closely again and then it dawned on me. This is the place where Beckett turned Brendon. Why would he bring me here if he was going to show me his memory?

“Beckett turned you here.” I said.

“Yes.” Brendon nodded.

“Why did you bring me here if you could just show me your memory?” I asked.

“This is a safe place. Beckett will not come back here. Once he uses a building for something, he never comes back. He leaves it behind. Do you know that he left me here? I woke up alone and confused at first. I was scared and hungry for blood and did not know why. You see, when you first wake up as a vampire, your vampire abilities kick in like the thirst for blood. You do not know who you are at first.

Beckett had locked me in this warehouse until he would come to get me. When I saw Beckett’s face, it triggered what had happened to me. I realized where I was and who I was again. I could not attack him because I knew that I would be killed. He had three of his strongest men with him.” Brendon explained.

“So you decided to join them and kill innocent people?” I asked.

“No, I said it before, I do not kill people. I am not going to lie; I have bitten people before but only to make it look like I killed them. I know when to stop and how to make someone look dead when they are not. I do it to protect people from Beckett. If I don’t do it then he will and kill them or turn them for sure.” Brendon said.

“What is the cot for?” I asked.

“It is for you to sleep on for tonight.” He said. “There is some food if you are hungry in the cabinet there too.” He added.

“Before you say anything I bought this in case my human friends needed a safe place to crash and that they would at least have some food. I didn’t plan this as I was going to keep you here against your will for days.” Brendon replied.

“I wasn’t thinking that.” I said heading over to the cot to sit down.

“Right.” He said following me.

I sat down on the cot as Brendon sat on the floor facing me. “You have been bitten?” Brendon asked shocked.

“Uh, yeah.” I said trying to cover my neck with my hair.

“Was it from a fight?” He asked. I could tell he was not trying to pry it was that he was concerned.

“No.” I said confusing him.

“I will tell you but I have a lot of questions for you. Do you think you can try to answer them?” I asked.

“I can try. Besides, I have all night.” He grinned. His grin made me smile. No wonder Erelin fell hard for him.

“I have a dark side.” I replied.

“I’m not following you.” He replied.

“Once I became the slayer and learned that my sister was alive but a vampire, I wanted to know what it was like.” I replied sighing.

“Amanda that is dangerous and I don’t like it.” Brendon replied.

“Don’t worry; my dark side is in check at the moment.” I said laughing. “I fell in love with a vampire. Don’t worry, he was good. Anyway, he was in love with my sister. He trained her before she took off and found me and told me I was the slayer. He trained Erelin and me when he learned that she was next in line. Micah was his name by the way.

I fell in love with him and we ended up making, well, you know. I told him I wanted to know what it was like. I asked him to bite me. He did. Then later he called out my sister’s name in the middle of sex. I knew our relationship was over. I had a dream about where my twin sister Elissa was and came here to find her, which I did. Isn’t it a small world how she met Pete?” I asked looking straight at Brendon.

“Wow that is so wrong and awkward.” Brendon said shocked. “I do hope that you are over your biting thing, however. That worries me.” Brendon replied.

“I’m fine, Brendon. Thanks for caring though.” I said smiling.

“Erelin is a good fighter but I worry because she doesn’t have the healing abilities yet or the super strength.” Brendon replied.

“Do I sense a slight crush on my best friend?” I asked.

“I think she is cute.” He said embarrassed.

“Hmm. You told her you are a bad boy. I don’t know if I can tolerate you being with her.” I said giving him a hard time.

“It is the truth. She has to stay away from me. I don’t want her to get hurt but I would do anything to protect her.” Brendon replied. I looked in his eyes and I knew he meant what he said.

“So what do you want to ask me?” He replied changing the subject.

“Were you following me as we started to leave Pete’s?” I asked.

“Yes. Did you feel me?” He asked.

“Sort of but I could not make it out as a vampire.” I replied.

“That is because I tried to stay out of your radar. If a vampire or slayer gets far enough away from each other, we cannot tell that you are a slayer or you tell that we are vampires. As a slayer though you have the advantage that something is out there as you proved to yourself.” Brendon explained as I found some water in the cabinet.

“That’s good to know that I wasn’t crazy then.” I laughed, as did Brendon.

“Ok, so I am going to start with the real questions.” I said.

“Shoot.” He said.

“How do you know my friend Nonnie and what can you tell me about her ex fiancé, Frank?” I asked catching him off guard.

“Wow.” He said.

“Well?” I asked.

“I need to know if I have to stake him or not? I don’t want him hurting Nonnie.” I said.

“How do you know about Frank?” Brendon asked studying me.

“Nonnie asked me to look out for him. She had this feeling that he was not dead and that she was being watched. She loves Joe her current boyfriend, but feels that she cannot move on until she learns what happened with Frank. You fit into the equation as she said you showed up at their place several times when he was alive.” I said wanting some answers.

“I know Frank, yes. He was a good friend of mine. He wanted to free me from Beckett. Beckett took one of his friends away from him and I had saved his life once from Beckett. When Nonnie would fall asleep, he would go out slaying with some friends of his.

Beckett always threw these elaborate parties and tried to act like his old self to lure his friends or anyone into the party. That was how he liked to turn people the most was to let them have fun then take them down when they least expected it. He loves a good hunt on the streets too but this was his thing.

Frank showed up at the party unannounced. He was trying to look for me to help me kill Beckett. I was out patrolling for vampires that night. Beckett had asked me to scout out places for humans that night which was my excuse so that I could secretly kill vampires. Had I known that Frank was going to show up at that party that night, I would have tried to save him.” Brendon said upset.

“You blame yourself?” I asked touching his shoulder.

“Yes. Everything is my fault. I could not save Pete. I tried to warn him. I tried to warn Beckett’s friend Sisky too. I could not save them either. Frank found me one night when I was patrolling again. I thought he was dead; that Beckett had not turned him but killed him the way his body was dumped. I found out later when Frank found me patrolling one night which took me by surprise to see him alive, that he told me he did not blame me for anything but I still felt bad. He could not be with the love of his life anymore, Nonnie. I just feel like I cause so much pain. Sometimes I wonder why I am even still here. It is like nothing I do to save people even matters.” Brendon said looking down.

“You saved me.” I said kissing his cheek. “Plus, you saved my best friend.” I said having him grin at the thought of Erelin.

“If you tried to warn Pete, why does he hate you?” I asked letting time slip away from me with all of our talking.

“You know, Amanda, you need to rest now. We can save Pete for another day.” He said looking at me.

“I am not sleepy.” I said gazing into his eyes.

“I am telling you. You need to rest.” Brendon said as I lied down on the cot. His eyes paralyzed me.

“Darn you.” I said to Brendon as I drifted off to sleep.