Chapter 7 Red
Red
Dylan’s POV
I rushed to him, catching him before his head hit the floor. He was heavier than I expected. I pulled his arm over my shoulder and half dragged, half walked him to the wooden bench along the wall, lowering him onto it as carefully as I could.
He didn’t resist, which scared me more than anything else. He opened his eyes and sat hunched forward, elbows on his knees, head low. His breathing was shallow and uneven, he looked so pale that I doubted if he’s the same person that commanded an entire rink hours ago. Whatever was happening to him, it was real. I needed to do something about it, but what can I do to help a vampire?
“Hey, Look at me.” I crouched in front of him.
He lifted his head slowly. His eyes were glassy, like he was trying his best to stay unconscious.
“What’s happening to you?” I asked.
“I used too much energy to heal… That’s why I’m weak” His voice came out rough, stripped of the steadiness it usually has.
I looked at him carefully. I was dead scared because it felt as if he was fading as color drained from his face. “What do you need?”
He turned his head slightly away, like the question made him uncomfortable.
“Liam. What do you need to recover? Don’t be quiet now”
He was quiet for a moment, shaking his head like he’s trying to stay awake. “Blood.”
“Okay, if that’s what you need, I will get it for you” I said.
“Animal blood,” he said, and there was something almost defensive in how quickly he clarified it. “I don’t drink human blood… I have some personal donors but I take more of animal blood to make me not cross the line out of craving” He stopped and pressed his fingers against his temple.
I stayed crouched in front of him, thinking of what to do. The noise from the rink didn’t even allow me to think properly as it filtered through the walls in distant waves.
I looked at my hand and an idea came to mind, I looked outside the corridor and it was empty. I held out my wrist towards him.
“Take mine,” I said.
He looked at my wrist and his face changed like he was surprised. He pulled back, sitting properly on the further bench like I had offered him something dangerous.
“No.”
“I can’t get animal blood here and besides… You might end up dead before I come back” I said.
“Dylan, I won’t take your blood no matter what,” It was the first time he had used my real name instead of my last name. “You don’t understand what you’re offering. If I end up taking your blood, I might end up losing control and hurt you. I am not… I won’t d that to you.”
“You’re dieing in front of me, If…”
‘If it’s your wish to die, then allow me kill you myself because you deserve the most painful death ever’ I completed my statement in my head.
“Then let me die.”
I looked at him and he actually meant it, which was somehow the most annoying thing he had said since I met him.
“I would rather die in this dressing room, than lose control.” He said.
What am I going to do with this freak of a vampire now? I got so frustrated that I decided to leave him to die in there, no matter how I wanted to kill him myself, this would at least make my work easier. I walked to the door, rubbing the back of my neck, as I reached for the door handle, I couldn’t open the door. One part of me wanted to go back and help him, another part wanted me to leave him and go back to the rink.
I turned back and looked at him. He was staring at the floor with stillness, he was trying very hard not to show how bad things were getting.
I walked back and sat down beside him on the bench.
I bit my finger so hard, a clean bright sting, and blood gushed out, welling up at the tip. I didn’t give myself time to reconsider. I leaned over and pressed my finger against his mouth, it dropped inside his mouth.
I waited for a moment but nothing happened. Suddenly, he growled like he had been held under water for a long time. Before I knew what was happening, he grabbed my wrist, he pushed me to the ground and lay on top of me, he opened his mouth, his fangs already elongated and he started drinking my blood. I tried to push him away but his grip was too strong.
In a way, it felt good, there was pressure and heat, something moved up my arm, not quite painful. My vision started blurring slowly and that’s when it dawn on me that this damn vampire was about to dry my veins.
“Okay, Okay, that’s enough.” I said but he didn’t stop, he keep sucking on it.
“Liam… That’s enough, stop.” I pulled against his grip.
His hand tightened around my wrist and I felt the pull deepen that I started to feel numb and my vision swimming like a fish pond just mounted itself inside my eyes. I became scared, worse still when I started seeing vivid images of my late parents, God! Is this your way of uprooting me from this world?
“Stop… Please, stop, you’re hurting me.” I whispered as my voice dropped on its own due to weakness.
He didn’t even attempt to stop. I grabbed his shoulder with my free hand and shoved him but he didn’t move. I shoved again harder, twisting my wrist against his grip at the same time, trying to find the angle that would let me pull free. My finger was throbbing and my arm felt heavy and I could feel my heart beating faster than it should have been.
“Liam, let go!”
I yanked hard, throwing my whole body sideways, and his grip slipped. I fell against the bench and scrambled to my feet, pressing my wrist against my chest, and breathing hard. I looked at him… His head was up and his eyes were open, but… it wasn’t grey anymore but RED.