You're Overdue

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Ann’s POV

When I woke up the next day I felt a cold presence next to me. I assumed it was Brendon, that the pills finally kicked in and he was starting to act normal. I snuggled closer till I felt something that wasn’t right. I felt this this almost dry liquid touching me, on me.

I opened my eyes and let out a shriek of horror before backing away and falling off the bed, dragging a part of the bloody comforter with me. I had not woken up next to Brendon but some strawberry blonde. His pupils blown and jaw slightly hanging open. He was indeed dead and covered it what I assumed in his own blood. That’s what I had felt; the edges becoming a rusty crust while the rest near the base of his throat still wet were Brendon had carelessly ripped open the flesh.

I looked down at myself seeing his blood on me and I could hear Brendon shift in the chair across the room. I look over at him trying to catch my breath, “What’s wrong with you?!”

I couldn’t read Brendon’s feature but his tone was calm and collected, “You look so good covered in blood.”

“What?”

Brendon appeared in front of me and he forced me flat on my back when as he crawled on top of me, “Especially when it’s not your own. So appetizing.”

“Brendon,” I looked at him in the hoping to see something left of the man I knew, “What are you doing? You can’t bring a dead guy in here like you’re some kind of pet that wants to show their gratitude.”

“But aren’t you happy?” I was convinced there was just the vampire, “I wanted to rip your throat out when you were sleeping. It could have been you but it wasn’t.”

I could feel his fingers of his right hand dancing across my throat. I reached into his jean’s front pocket and pulled out the small container with his pills. He didn’t stop me as I pulled out a couple pills out. He needed to take more than one clearly.

I held them up against his lips and he didn’t protest.

Brendon slowly backed off of me and looked around. I cautiously sat up and I watched Brendon roll up the dead guy with the sheets. He hadn’t said anything but I didn’t dare say a word. I got off the floor and pulled off the bloody shirt.

“Let me have that.”

Brendon was next to me and reached for the shirt in my hands, “Are you back?”

“Yeah,” He looked at the floor before returning to the rolled bedding, “I’ll be right back. Get ready to go.”

I quickly washed off the blood off of me and pulled on some clothes. It didn’t take long for Brendon to return and he helped me pack. If this was going to get worse I was beginning to fear for myself. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea to come with him. I know he was stronger than the guys but I couldn’t control Brendon.

“I want to go back and see that William. I want to know more about the pills.”

Brendon looked over at me, “What do you want to know?”

“What’s in them, who makes them, and why they work from time to time?”

“You do know we can’t go back there. He’s probably dead by now.”

I grabbed my bag and walked past him, “If you won’t help me I’ll go by myself.”

“You know I can’t allow that. Ronnie will find you in a matter of couple of days.”

I shook my head and kept walking. By the time I reached the door Brendon’s hand was near my head forcing the door shut. Well, this was a nice case of déjà vu, Brendon forcing me to stay in one spot for protection as he called it.

“Brendon I need to know. I can’t have you going rabid while you’re trying to play hero. In case you haven’t noticed I woke up next to a dead guy.”

Brendon finally agreed and we left the hotel quietly making a quick stop at a dinner a few blocks down. I asked how he was covering our trail. He didn’t say much but I was thankful for the vampire side in him having tricks up his sleeve.

It was nice to get a warm meal in me, “So do you know what the pills are made of?”

“LSD.”

I spat my coffee back into my cup, “What?”

I watched him smile as he tore up the tissue in his hand, “That’s what it is.”

“Those pills don’t even look like…”

I was cut off, “Relax. I don’t take the shit off the street and I don’t want to know how you know that they look like.” Brendon sighed as he continued, “When I get bad I take them because my body is too busy fighting it off. The rabid in me attacks the drugs. I’ve been taking them since the 60’s when it got popular, first thing to work in all honesty. I hadn’t needed them in years actually.”

“Well, this officially just got weird. I have a vampire boyfriend that has a bad past with me and LSD makes him sane.”

“This was weird long before the drugs.”

He looked tired as he sat across from me. I watched him take another pill just to be safe but something was wrong. Maybe it was the drugs or his body could be in need for a break. He was in no shape to fight the Dandies.

He looked up with concern when he saw I stopped eating. I placed my fork down and felt my heart sink. Brendon was always the invincible one in my eyes. He could die. He already had killed four of the strongest vampires I know and one was by accident but he looked like he couldn’t take much more.

“Ann, what’s wrong?”

“Brendon I don’t want to lose you.”

He reached over for my hand and he held it, “You’re not going to. I’ll kill Ronnie if I have too. Now eat up, we got to go save this new William’s ass.”

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