Chapter Twenty-One
Kip
Despite All This Rage…
As I listen to Charlie’s footsteps ascend the stairs and fade away, I think I feel my heart cracking.
I’m scared that he won’t make it out of Blood Rose without being caught.
And I’m terrified that was the last time I’ll ever hear his voice.
I have to make it out of here. I need to control this fucking bloodlust before it’s too late.
I’m getting better, I know that. And even though I don’t want to trust Tyson or rely on him, I think I have to in order to get out of here.
Charlie needs me to get out of here. He needs me to protect him.
He’s so small…at least compared to me. And what if someone besides us finds out that he knows about vampires?
They could hurt him. I can’t let that happen.
I almost wish I could keep training myself against the pull of the blood while I’m alone, but who would keep me in check?
Tyson can’t spend every waking minute here helping me, I know that.
But, still, he could be here more so we could get out of this situation sooner.
Not that I want to spend time with him, but I do want to get out of here ASAP.
The corner feels like the safest place, even if I feel like my nuts are going to freeze off from the cold of this room.
Seriously, I didn’t think it was possible for them to crawl back inside my body, but they’re one degree away from doing just that.
It’s a dick move of Tyson to not even give me a blanket.
I hope freezing isn’t one of the ways to kill a vamp.
Curling in on myself at tightly as I can, I’m tucked into the corner of my cell, stuck waiting for someone to come for me.
There’s nothing I can do in here but sleep and think.
I’ve never been left alone with my own head like this.
At least when I locked myself away after attacking Charlie I had access to the internet. This is…bleak.
How long does it take for someone to lose their mind? Hopefully I won’t find out.
The forest around me is peaceful, with only the sounds of wildlife and wind rustling the leaves on the trees. The sunlight breaks through the green leaves, warming my skin as I amble along the dirt trail that cuts between through the forest.
Although it’s been awhile, years actually, this place is familiar.
I’ve been here before. It’s one of the state parks, right outside of the city.
When I was little, my family would come here camping.
Sometimes my friends and I would ride our bikes through the winding trails.
I almost forgot about this place, it’s been so long.
But now that I’m here, it pulls at me. Why did I ever stop coming to this place of calm?
The last time I was here was before my parents died. I guess I didn’t really have a way to get out here after that, and my foster families would never have taken me. They were never the most caring. And I was never adopted either. No family wanted a teenager. I was too old.
When I get out of my prison, I should come here again.
Hmmm, where did that thought come from? I’m not in a prison, am I? I am here. In this forest. Surrounded by green tranquility. Maybe I should take up yoga. This would be the perfect place.
The trail leads me along a gently bubbling stream, and then over a wooden bridge that looks like something out of a fairytale. I think about Charlie. My sweet Charlie. I wonder if he’d like it here? He doesn’t seem like the outdoorsy type, but he likes calm and quiet. So he might like this.
If I’m ever free again, I’ll bring him here.
Everything around me is a little hazy around the edges. Like I’m looking through some type of filter. I realize now that the sounds aren’t as clear as I thought they were. The chirping of the birds is muffled, as well as the shuffling of small animals over the ground.
The world doesn’t feel quite right. But I pay that thought no mind as I keep meandering along the trail. I’m too content, too full of serenity to focus on the prickling thought that everything isn’t as it seems.
The trees open up to reveal a clearing in the middle of the forest. The grass is tall, and wildflowers dot the landscape. Colors swirl, greens, browns, blues, yellows and pinks. Beautiful.
There in the middle of the clearing, someone is spread out on a blanket. Their back is on the ground, and though I can’t see their face, I can see that their head is tilted to the sky. Sunlight plays over their pale skin. The breeze ripples their dark hair.
I step closer. “Hello?” I whisper, not wanting to spook them.
As I walk closer, I see their eyelashes flutter open to reveal whiskey colored eyes. The person sits up, and looks at me over their shoulder.
Charlie.
A look of confusion and surprise flits over his face, before being replaced by a smile.
“You’re here.” I gasp. My sweet Charlie is here. “How are you here? How did you know about this place?”
“My grandma.” Charlie sighs, reminiscing.
“She was my best friend. When I was young, she’d bring me here, to this clearing, and we’d have picnics.
She’d read books to me about fantastical places with magic and dragons.
And when I’m sad, I come here in my dreams. But I’m too scared to come back while I’m awake, afraid of it hurting too much now that she’s gone. ”
“But you’re here right now.” My brow furrows.
“Haven’t you figured it out yet? This is a dream, Kip. We aren’t really here.” Charlie’s smile turns sad. “Come sit with me for a while? Who knows when we’ll wake up.”
I take my place beside him on the green and black plaid blanket that’s laid out across the grass. We’re pressed together, from our shoulders to our thighs.
“How did you do this? How are we both here?” I ask. “Shit, you’re not like a witch or anything are you? You would’ve told me that by now, right?”
Charlie giggles, his cheeks turning pink.
“No, I’m not a witch. That would be super cool though.
No…I think this is your doing. I’ve seen this in some vampy TV shows, where a vamp could go into the dreams of humans.
” Charlie nudges his shoulder against me.
“You must’ve missed me a lot to creep into my dream like this. ”
I scoff, acting offended. “Are you calling me creepy?”
Charlie throws his head back and laughs. “If anything, that’s a compliment. Have you met me? I love creepy shit. I mean, I’m dating a vampire.”
“Dating…I like that.” I grow quiet, looking down at my legs and plucking at a loose thread on my shorts. “Hey, uh…I’m sorry that I worried you. I hate that you thought I was ghosting you again.”
Charlie lays down on his side, pulling me with him until we’re facing each other.
“Don’t apologize. I know now that you weren’t ignoring me.
At least I know where you are now, even if I hate it.
But that just means you have to get out of there as soon as possible, so we can actually try this whole dating thing in real life. Not just in a dream.”
My fingers brush through his soft black hair, tucking some loose strands behind his ear. The sunlight hits his whiskey eyes, coloring them amber, and it’s almost like they’re glowing. “I’m trying my best. I promise.”
I lean in, brushing my lips softly over his. He tastes sweet, like vanilla and cinnamon. Every small breath that escapes his mouth, I breathe in. We share air and tender kisses. Even though this isn’t real life, and we aren’t really touching, it feels just about real enough, for now.
“We should spend every dream like this.” I rasp between light kisses and swipes of our tongues. “I might not want to wake up then.”
Kip.
A shiver rolls through me. Suddenly, I’m overcome by a chill. Even the sunshine isn’t enough to stifle it. I shake against Charlie.
“Are you okay, Kip?” Charlie pauses, pulling away to look me over.
Kip!
“So cold. I’m s-so cold.” The cold presses against my skin harshly, it’s inescapable.
Charlie tugs me into his arms, but it’s not like it was before. I can’t feel his touch. I can’t feel his warmth.
“I c-can’t feel you anymore.” I shudder, curling up tightly.
Goddamnit, Kip!
The world around me ripples. Sunlight fades and is replaced by darkness. The softness of the blanket and grass is replaced by harsh concrete. I can’t smell Charlie anymore, or the flowers surrounding us.
“Don’t go, Charlie, please. Not yet.” I beg. Don’t wake me up.
Charlie’s lips move, but I can’t hear him anymore. I can’t hear the forest, or the critters. I hear the drip-dropping of water against stone. I hear an annoyed voice, and the sound of hands banging on bars.
“Are you ignoring me, Kip? Real mature.”
Blood. I smell blood. Everywhere. It seeps into the ground beneath me, soaking through my clothes. The sticky, coopery liquid covers my skin. It drips down my hair, into my eyes, nose and mouth.
Charlie fades away.
I gasp, sputtering as blood fills my mouth.
At first, my urge is to spit it out. But then my nostrils flare, my fangs descend, and my claws pop.
An animalistic growl comes from deep in my chest, and my tongue flicks out to any blood it can reach.
Soon, I’m sucking my fingers, my arms, and bending down to run my tongue along the floor where blood has pooled beneath me.
I’m a monster, and I can’t stop.
When I’ve cleaned myself and the floor around me of all blood, I follow a line of haphazard drips along the floor, cleaning each one until no trace remains. The end of the trail leads me to the bars, where I look up and see Tyson standing, a disgusted look on his face, and a bucket in his hand.
The bucket has drips of blood along the sides, and I can smell more remnants of the liquid inside of it.
I can’t stop myself from squeezing my arms through the bars of my cell, swiping at Tyson and the bucket.
He jumps back, out of reach of my claws. “Seriously? You licked the fucking blood off the dirty floor? The fuck is wrong with you?”
“Need it.” I growl. My vision is covered by a red haze. All I can think about is getting the remaining blood.
Tyson tosses the bucket away, letting it clatter in the far corner of the room.
I hiss in anger. “Give it!”
I don’t notice the cattle prod until it’s pressed against my moist skin.
The pain is worse than usual, because of the amount of moisture on my skin from lapping up the blood like a feral freak.
“F-f-f-fuckkk!” I screech.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say you failed this test.”
The shock of the prod breaks me out of my bloodlust. “You threw a bucket of blood on me?! How the fuck did you expect me to control myself when you woke me up by drenching me in blood?!”
“If you had control over your bloodlust, you would’ve been fine.” Tyson shrugs nonchalantly.
“Oh, like you’d be able to hold back if the same thing was done to you? You’re the worst vampire mentor ever.” I put distance between us, backing up against the far wall of my cell. “Seriously, it feels like you’re not even trying to help me get out of here.”
“Yes, because I absolutely love spending time in this dank basement with you. It’s my number one favorite activity.” He says with a fake smile.
“You know what would get us both out of here faster? If you stopped fucking with me. Maybe you should focus on actually helping me, instead of covering me in blood and then cattle prodding me.”
“Or, if you stopped acting like a fucking animal anytime a drop of blood is in your vicinity, we’d already be out of here.” Tyson crosses his arms, looking down his nose at me.
“It was a lot more than a drop, dude.” I realize I’m tugging at my hair in frustration, one of my beautiful golden locks coming away in my palm. “Oh great, now I’m fucking losing my hair!”
“You’re not losing your hair. I literally just watched you pull it out. Stop being dramatic.”
I wrap my arms around my body, fighting another bout of shivers. “Now my clothes are soaked in blood, Tys. It’s already f-fucking freezing in here.”
Tyson walks over, picking up a bag I didn’t see before, and shoving it through the cell’s bars. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
Tearing into the bag, I find a clean pair of sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and a small throw blanket.
At this point, I don’t even care if Tyson sees my man bits.
Let him watch. I quickly strip out of my destroyed, and smelly, clothes and pull on my new cozy duds.
“Fucckk, that’s so much better! Thank you.
Although, you coulda given me a blanket right away instead of letting me almost freeze to death. ”
“I got tired of your whining.” He takes the bag full of my ruined clothes. “I’m burning these, by the way. Hope they aren’t your favorite or anything.”
“I’m cool with never seeing those again, to be honest.” I grab the throw blanket and wrap it around my shoulders, burying my nose in the soft fabric.
“You gotta help me get out of here Tys. I’m tired of playing the blame game with you, and running around in circles.
It really doesn’t matter whose fault any of this is anymore.
Either way, I’m locked in here, and you’re stuck helping me.
We might as well work together and get this over with, so we can both be free.
Not to mention, I’m worried for Charlie.
He knows about vampires now. What if someone comes after him for it? ”
Tyson sighs, resting his forehead on the bars in front of him. “You’re right. I don’t want to be stuck down here, anymore than you do.”
“Hey, at least you get to leave. I’m literally trapped until some unknown council deems me fit to be released.”
“Yeah, I’d hate to be you.” Tyson cringes.
“Rude.”