Falling to Pieces

* * * * *
“How are you doing?” Lindsey asked him.
I have to get out of here.
But he was stuck, no way out. In that tiny car with the scent of blood in the air and the sight of it.
And she was only a few inches away.
Her scent hit him even though her blood was not the one spilt.
“Joel?” Rose breathed.
He looked at her.
Helpless. Defenseless.
Scared.
The only way that he would get through this was to close the wound.
“Ryan take the wheel.”
Ryan did, and at the same time, Joel pulled Lindsey out of the seat.
Lindsey fell limply in his arms.
“Rose can you get the first aid kit out from under the seat?” He said in a choken voice.
She quickly retrieved the first aid kid, as told. And then he went to work, trying to stop the bleeding, that was all he could do now.
“Put me on the seat,” Linds said.
Joel did what he was told and put his jacket around her like a blanket.
“I didn’t think that a vampire would bleed,” He heard Rose whisper.
He looked over at her; she stared at Lindsey with awe-stricken eyes.
“It’s the blood that we drink.”
She tilted her head. “I don't understand, I’ve never seen you drink blood.”
And you never will.
“When we are first bitten, we are crazed for blood, because there isn’t any left in our bodies, that’s what's keeps us going. With out blood, we grow weak, and if we loose enough of it, we die.”
“I still don't get it,” She said, “How do you loose the blood in the first place? What makes the process happen?”
“The venom of course.”
“Venom?”
Joel sighed, “I thought you said that you read about this stuff!”
“I didn’t think any of it was real,” She hissed, “You shouldn’t exist, none of this should.”
He flinched, but he guessed that eventually all her understanding had to run out.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly, “I..I just don't understand this yet. I don't understand you and your world, you always kept me out.”
“I have reasons to,” he said.
Rose reached over, but Joel moved back.. “Not yet.”
She understood that at least.
“You cant keep me out anymore, I’m involved in your world now.”
“I know, I tried so hard to keep you safe, to keep you out of it.”
“You must have known that it wouldn’t be able to stay that way,” she insisted.
“But I hoped.”
“Tell me. Talk to me.”
Joel smiled just the tiniest smile. “About what.”
“Well,” she said, beginning to move closer to him out of habit, but she caught herself and scooted back..
Joel sighed and took her hand and pulled her closer.
She smiled. “I was wondering what a vampire really is, I mean I know the myths and authors’ interpretations, but what is it really?”
He chuckled a bit. “Well we are immortal and demons.”
She frowned. “ ‘demons’?”
“What? What would you call it?”
“Based on what I know so far?” she asked.
He nodded. “Of course.”
“I would say that you portray yourself as a demon, only because that’s what you believe yourself to be. You know that you aren’t a monster, but you like it that way because you like the distance away from humans because you’re scared of being judged. You think that if they really knew you then they would automatically denote you as a monster, a demon.”
“is that a conclusion on me alone or as the whole Vampire society as a whole?” He asked.
she grinned. “Its however you interpret it.”
“Interesting,” he chuckled, “ Next question.”
She glared at him. “But you haven’t even answered my question!”
“I think you answered it yourself. A vampire is however you want to perceive it. You can either look at it through a half full glass or a half empty glass.”
“What's it like to be half dead?”
“What kind of question id that?
“A human one,” She answered..
Lindsey erupted in quiet laughter.
“Its…” he struggled for the right word, “empty.”
She tilted my head, bemused at his choice of words. “Empty?”
He nodded. “Numb. Its like your hollow, you don’t feel anything.”
She looked down, “That’s depriving.”
He shrugged.
“Your immortal then?”
“Yes.”
“So when do you technically ‘die’?”
“ I don't really know, there hasn’t been any weapons that have actually done damage. I mean if a vampire is drained of blood then you ‘die’ but its much worse than that, you see, a vampire can live for an amount of time before they ‘die’. But the lack of blood drives you mad.”
The sun was rising above the horizon. Time moved too fast now. The lights on the car’s dashboard began to fade.
“Don’t be anxious, nothing will happen to you, I wont allow it,” He whispered to Rose as he watched her look out the window as well. Her heartbeats were still too fast for comfort.
She smiled and turned to look at him. “Your little friends don’t seem like the type that would listen to you.”
“they’ll just need a little persuasion,” he said darkly.
He saw her eyes widen, then saw her try to portray herself as though his words had no impact.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Corence,” he answered, “We have some friends there.”
He pulled her in his arms.
“Sleep,” he whispered, smoothing the hair off her face, “You’ll need the energy.”
She cuddled up in his arms, using his shoulder to prop her head up like a pillow.
“Joel,” Rose whispered as she tossed her head to the side.
Joel narrowed his eyes and caressed her cheek. “Shh.”
The fearful night was making her restless. Velions mastered the art of fear, more so than the werewolves. They loved to play with minds.
She turned her head again, mumbling something.
They must be close.
Lindsey looked at him with fearful eyes. “Is she strong enough for this? Physical and mental?”
He stroked her hair. “Yes. She’s strong.”
“How much longer?” She said weakly.
Joel looked at her. “I know you're suffering, but I need you to hang on for me. How’s your thirst?”
“Manageable,” She said, closing her eyes.
“We’ll stop once we get out the state.”
Rose sat up screaming.
He held her tightly.
“It’s okay. You’re okay,” he said.
Eventually her tears dried, but he continued to talk to her even after she grew quiet, like a lullaby.
He glanced up at Lindsey. “I don't like this.”
“She’s the most venerable. She’s mortal, she can die. And they know that if they kill her, it will kill us as well.”
Joel looked back at Rose.
“They have the advantage.”
“Yes they do.”
* * * * *
We stopped in Pennsylvania to let Lindsey “haunt”. Joel told me that they didn’t kill humans when they filled up on blood.
“So what do you do?” I had asked him.
He looked down. “I wonder if it will bother you?”
I put my hand under his chin and raised it so he was looking at me. “As long as you aren’t killing people.”
“We steal from the hospitals,” he said, “We cant even get ourselves to kill animals for it, it seems too monstrous.”
I grinned at him.
His face melted from wary to bewilder.
“Why are you smiling?” His voice sounded appalled.
“You are such a moral vampire, and it’s a bit funny.”
He grinned now too.
Once we got to the airport, Joel scooped me up and darted inside for safety. I kept my face in the curve of his neck even after we had stopped and I heard the chattering of humans.
“Ryan, I’m going to take Rose through security, I’ll see you on the plane with Lindsey.”
Joel carried me to the security area. We weaved through the line and then got on the plane.
“D9,” Joel said.
I nodded and sat in the seat, which was a window seat. Joel sat next to me and let out a sigh of relief.
“Where’s Corence?” I asked.
“Up in Washington, almost in Canada,” he said.
“Are—are we going to fight them?” I asked.
“You wont, but yes, I suppose so.”
“Isn’t there a more peaceful way?” I asked, hearing how stupid that question sounded.
“Many Vampires are tired of feeling threatened by the Velions, the hostility has grown.”
I nodded .
I felt a fever coming on. My skin felt warm, but I felt cold on the inside. And the more I pretended that I wasn’t going to die, the weaker I became.
We were running out of time. With each passing moment, I felt myself grow weaker, felt part of myself dying. This battle would surely take the last bit of my life away. The doctors who had spoke to me in April said I had a few months before I would feel the side effects. They told me that I would have a little while till they were going to keep me in the hospital, which I wasn’t looking forward to, mostly to the fact that Joel would be there watching the life leave me. I wish there was someway I could send him away like my mother had done to me, but I knew that would be next to impossible.
Lindsey came in with Ryan behind her, they sat behind us and we waited for the long flight that was ahead.
Hours later, Joel knocked on a fancy door.
Moments later a boy answered it. He had black hair and the same vampire eyes.
“Nethiel,” Joel said, “Good to see you.”
Nethiel smiled and looked at me.
“And she must be the human,” Nethiel said.
Joel smiled and put his arm around my shoulder. “This is Rosella.”
“Rose,” I corrected.
Nethiel grinned. “You are like Andrea.”
“Come in,” he said, moving to the side.
We entered the large house and I gasped. The living room was absolutely beautiful. Everything was in a pure white. The carpet, the sofa, and the cabinet T.V. stand. The only thing not white was the crystal coffee table in front of the sofa.
“Its not like our home is it?” Joel whispered in my ear.
“You keep refusing to let us help you,” Nethiel said.
“He’s stubborn that way,” I said.
Nethiel grinned. “Andrea they are here.”
“Will she hear you?” I asked. He hadn’t even risen his voice.
Joel looked at me as if I was missing something.
Oh.
A girl with long black hair came downstairs. She wore a lacy dress that you would see on Taylor Swift and was barefooted. Her hair was parted down the middle, showing her mismatched eyes.
One was a vampire eye.
One was a gold eye.
“Nice to meet you Rose,” She said.
“How did you know my name?” I asked.
Nethiel chuckled.
I looked back at Nethiel and Joel. Joel looked at me frightened and I couldn’t understand why.
“The vampire world is still a mystery to her,” Joel told Nethiel, who nodded.
“And how long do you suppose that will last?”
Joel’s fear hardened into certainty. “Forever.”
Nethiel smiled ever so slightly. “ I once said that. Things change though.”