How Dark Is the Night?

I know I am unconscious, yet my mind wanders. It is here in a dreamlike state that I find the answers, too many of my unsolved questions. It is a slayer’s journey to remember the past. I felt that something was not right with Pete.

How did I become stronger and Pete was weaker to me? I know the answer. When Pete touched my hand, it came flooding back to me; memories that were buried or temporarily erased. It was enough of a jolt to send me into shock, which is how I ended up here in an unconscious state. Normally, I see friends or family in this state but this is different. Pete erased my memories and now I have them back to process how we are in a mess.

(Flashback)
“Pete, what am I becoming? I can’t control how I am acting. It’s like half of my thoughts aren’t my own. I am only hurting the ones I love.” I said crying.

“Come here.” Pete said pulling me close to where I was crying on my shoulder.

“I’m losing you and I can’t deal and I don’t know. Help me, Pete.” I whispered.

“I can’t help you until you tell me what you wanted to earlier.” He replied.

“I can’t. I feel ashamed. I don’t remember much anyway. I’m in trouble though. I know.” I said scared. “I can’t defeat Dracula now. I’m becoming what he wants me to be. He’s going to win. I am going to be his wife aren’t I?” I asked confused.

“Don’t talk like that.” Pete said. “Follow me.” He said getting me away from people out shopping late and eating. He pulled me into a dark alley that was illuminated by the moonlight. It was almost full. Tomorrow it would be.

“Lean into me. You trust me, right?” Pete asked.

“Yeah.” I replied.

“Then act like you do. Trust us.” He said.

“Wait, what are you going to do?” I said trying to pull away after seeing Pete’s fangs.

“I’m going to help you.” He said pulling me to him where he bit into my neck.
(End of Flashback)

I remember it all. Pete bit me. I was stressed from fighting with Dracula and him invading my dreams that day. The next day was to be the fight of my life against him, yet somehow, amazingly, I came through and defeated Dracula thanks to Pete. He had managed in that bite to transfer his strength somehow over to me to protect me and make me stronger.

That is what he has been doing to me now these past few days and he has been erasing it from me as he did this memory. He is making me stronger in order to defeat Volkmar. That is why he did not fight me back in the bedroom when I knocked him into the dresser. He is saving what is left of his strength for the fight.

His words echo all around me from that night, “You trust me, right?” Part of me wants to trust him more, yet part of me is still torn. He betrayed me. Why? All he had to do was to tell me the truth. What are his motives for what he is doing to not only me, but also our friends?

It still makes me angry with him. He still seems shady to me but I do now know that he does not intend to turn me. Pete has somehow managed to mess up my sense of good vampire/bad vampire and it hurts my head. He makes me very upset.

My heart raced as I remembered something else from that night:
“I need you to live.” Pete said looking in my concerned eyes. “You need to be strong to fight
Dracula and well I don’t need my strength for much longer so there you go. A gift from me.” He said placing his hands on my face.

He wants me to live. I need to live. I want to live. Alexandra depends on me to live. Even though things were different when Dracula was around, I can definitely see some similarities between what happened then and what is happening now with Volkmar.

I could feel my body being shaken by someone. I was slowly starting to wake up out of my unconscious state of thinking. As I was fighting to regain conciousness, I heard my dear friend Nick echo his thoughts. Now he decided to chat with me.

“Amanda, save your anger for the fight. It will make you stronger. Just remember that. Remember what is important.” Nick echoed.

“Thanks for the pep talk, coach.” I mumbled as I came to.

“Amanda?” Andy said confused as I opened my eyes.

I looked up at him looking around with my eyes. Andy was leaning over me with everyone else around me. I quickly hopped up as if nothing was wrong. Patrick stopped me from moving anywhere.

“Is there something you want to tell me about?” Patrick asked concerned, as I know he heard me reply to Nick.

“No. You can all relax. I am fine.” I said debating on whether or not I should tell them that Pete might not be that bad.

I decided against it however, given that I know Pete will not turn me but I still do not know all of his motives. I don’t want to give the gang false hope if I am wrong. I wondered how long I was out.

“What time is it?” I asked, as I studied the room we were in. I noticed the bookcase and there was something off about it.

“It is almost midnight.” Chrissy said looking at her watch.

“Amanda, I recommend that you sit down and drink some water. For whatever reason, you collapsed.” Andy said.

“I’m fine.” I said trying to decline.

“No. It is not fine. You will drink.” Patrick said demanding and giving me a scolding look.

“Fine.” I said snatching a glass of water from Andy’s hand.

“Did he hurt you?” Chrissy asked as Patrick inspected my neck.

“See, no bite marks.” I said rolling my eyes at Patrick.

“But he did bite you earlier, didn’t he?” Sam said.

“Yes. The plan is for Pete to turn me sometime around midnight with you people as an audience in front of Volkmar. As far as I see, Erelin and Brendon as well as Joe and Bev are safe. I think Volkmar is holding out for them, which buys us some time.” I said eyeing the bookcase again.

“What do you mean that is going to buy us some time?” Chrissy asked.

“It means it gives us time to escape.” I said getting up.

“But how? We cannot get out of the doors.” Sam replied.

“Have you guys checked out the bookcase?” I asked.

“We did earlier but didn’t have time to search it anymore.” Patrick said.

“Why are you interested in the bookcase all of a sudden?” Andy asked.

“It looks out of place in here like it may have an air vent or secret passage that can get us out of here.” I said.

“Oh. Well, if you are a slayer and have strength, why can’t you bust down the doors?” Andy asked.

“Yeah, what he said.” Chrissy said as she sat on Andy’s lap.

“One, I am not that strong if it is barricaded on both sides, and two every vampire in the world will hear us as I bust it down.” I said.

“It is worth a shot though.” Patrick said motioning for me to try.

“Alright.” I said rolling my eyes again.

I eyed the door up and down then took a running start. I slammed into the door but it was made of a type of metal on the inside. It had to be. It had a wooden outer part but the doors were metal on the inside preventing me from knocking them down and instead knocked me down to the floor. I got back up and dusted myself off.

“It didn’t work.” Chrissy frowned.

“It is made of metal on the inside. In other words, it is slayer proof.” I replied.

I walked over to the bookcase with Patrick. “So, I know you know something about what is going on. Do you want to tell me what it is? I will not tell the others if you don’t want them to know.” Patrick said as he helped me start to throw all the books in the floor.

“Patrick, I can’t right now. It is complicated.” I said looking away from him.

“Pete really is not going to turn you tonight, is he? As much as I am, mad at him, which takes a lot for me to get mad, I can’t hate him. He was my best friend.” Patrick said pushing his glasses up a bit on his nose.

“Patrick, don’t worry about Pete.” I said touching his shoulder.

We finally had all the books thrown into the floor and bingo; there was a huge air vent. I kicked it with my feet and pried it open with my hands. We had a way out of here.

“Well, gang. It looks like we will be getting out of here.” I said all proudly.