Chapter 7 AM NOT A MONSTER
(Lilian’s POV)
When I opened my eyes, I was home not actually dead or in some creepy hospital. Just… in my bed, staring at the crack in my ceiling that looked like a badly drawn lightning bolt. The sunlight shined brightly through the blinds, hitting me right in the eyes. My alarm was screaming like a demon possessed it or something.
For a second, I didn’t move and recollected what happened last night.
Then I sat up fast way too fast and my head spun so hard I thought I was going to puke. My breath came short and shallow. My throat burned like I’d swallowed smoke. Everything felt too harsh like my neck was used for moping the floor or something.
“What the hell…” I whispered, clutching the edge of the bed.
The dream I had last night or whatever that was slammed back into me in flashes. The cold hand i felt, the oduios smell and The voice whispering you’ll thank me later, The bite and of course The damn darkness.
I pressed my fingers against my neck but it was smooth but there was nothing, no puncture marks or bruises. Just my usual pale self and a whole lot of paranoia.
“Okay,” I muttered, dragging myself out of bed. “So either I dreamed the most realistic nightmare of my life, or I’m losing my mind.”
The alarm kept wailing, so I slapped it quiet and stumbled to the mirror above my dresser. My hair looked like a bird’s nest that had lost a fight with a blender. My eyes had faint dark circles, but no blood, no fangs, no creepy movie stuff.
“Yeah, you’re fine, Lilian,” I told my reflection. “You just… hallucinated a vampire which is totally normal, it happens to everyone, right?”
My sarcasm helped a little. Talking to myself usually did. I took another closure look at my neck tilting, squinting, even pulling the skin but still nothing. The more I stared, the more stupid I felt.
I laughed under my breath. “You really need to quit watching late-night horror marathons.”
Still, something didn’t sit right. My hands trembled slightly, and my chest felt tight, like my body remembered pain my brain couldn’t prove.
I decided to shake it off the only way I knew how a hot shower and of course my favorite caffeine.
My bathroom mirror fogged up instantly, which was fine by me. I didn’t want to keep seeing my face looking that weirdly pale. The water hit my skin, hot enough to sting, and I just stood there for a while, trying to feel normal.
But something was off, the water didn’t feel right. I could see every droplet hit me, like in slow motion. I could hear it too and the rhythm of each splash echoing in my ears, so sharp it almost hurt.
I shut it off fast, my heartbeat thudding. “Okay, that’s new.”
I toweled off, threw on my hoodie and jeans, and padded downstairs barefoot. The air in my apartment smelled different too — cleaner, sharper, like someone had turned up the contrast on reality.
Then my stomach growled loudly.
It wasn’t the usual “I skipped breakfast” growl. It was deep, animal-like and It hurt. I pressed a hand to my abdomen. “Alright, alright, chill. Sandwich coming right up.”
The kitchen was my safe place. my old wooden counter, mismatched mugs, and the small comfort of knowing I could make something edible. I grabbed bread, eggs, and cheese, i didn’t even toast it, just slapped it together and bit in like I hadn’t eaten in days.
Except… It tasted wrong.
I chewed slowly, scrounching up my nose, It wasn’t bad, just…too bland like chewing cardboard dipped in air. The taste was gone, All of it there was no salt, no flavor, nothing.
“What the actual hell.” I spit a bit back into the napkin. “Did I lose my taste buds overnight?”
I tried again another bite, a bigger one but still tasted nothing. I grabbed a bottle of ketchup, poured too much on purpose, and bit in. My tongue should’ve burned but surprisingly It didn’t.
My stomach growled again, This time it made me wince.
“I just fed you damn it!” I snapped, glaring down like that’d help. “What do you want from me, a three-course meal?”
The room felt suddenly… smaller. My head buzzed, my pulse sped up. I stumbled toward the window, hoping air would help, but then I froze.
Something in the light caught my eye.
Tiny floating specks not dust actually I could see them moving. Slow, lazy particles drifting like fireflies, except they weren’t glowing. Just hanging there, visible like someone had outlined them.
“Wait, what…” I blinked hard. They didn’t go away. I waved my hand through them but they shimmered faintly, scattering, then came right back.
I rubbed my eyes and laughed nervously. “Oh great, now I’m seeing particles. Maybe next I’ll start hearing ghosts.”
Except… I did start hearing something.
Not voices in my head like actual ones. it was Faint, muffled, coming from outside.
I crept toward the window and opened it slightly. Two teenagers were standing on the sidewalk across the street, arguing about a video game.
And I could hear every word.
“I told you, he glitched the boss, that doesn’t count!”
“Dude, it does if the game allows it!”
Their voices were clear, even though they were at least thirty feet away. I blinked again, heart hammering.
“What the...”
My brain couldn’t process it. My senses were on overdrive, I could smell their cheap cologne, hear their sneakers scuff the pavement, even track their heartbeats.
That’s when panic finally hit.
I slammed the window shut, my breath ragged. “No. No, no, no. This isn’t real.”
I ran to the bathroom mirror again, half-expecting something monstrous staring back. Still me. Just pale, confused, freaked out.
“This can’t be happening.” My voice cracked.
I ran back to my bedroom, grabbed my phone from the nightstand, the same one that had shattered last night. Except… it wasn’t shattered.
The screen was perfect not even a crack or even a scratch.
It powered on instantly, there was no damage or weird lost signal, Just fine.
My throat went dry. “Okay, it's either I officially entered a Twilight Zone episode, or…”
I didn’t finish that thought. Instead, I opened the browser and typed the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever searched in my life:
how to react when you’ve been bitten by a vampire
The results loaded fast. A mix of jokes, fan forums, and weirdly one article that made my stomach drop.
“Early symptoms may include heightened senses, changes in appetite, light sensitivity, and increased regeneration. Victims often experience confusion, denial, and hunger not satisfied by ordinary food.”
I laughed out loud, like really loud... you got to be kidding me.
“Yeah, right that's totally me. Next you’ll tell me I sparkle in sunlight.”
But even as I said it, something deep inside me twisted because the hunger wasn’t even fading. It was getting worse. The sandwich sat in my stomach like a stone, useless. The world felt too bright, too loud, too alive and trust me when I said it so annoying.
I turned off my phone and sank to the floor, gripping my knees.
“Get a grip, Lilian,” I whispered. “You’re tired, stressed, hallucinating. That’s all. People don’t just wake up like this. You’re fine baby.... you're fine”
Except I wasn’t fine. Every second that passed made me more aware of the dripping faucet in the kitchen, of a car passing two streets away, of my own pulse thundering in my ears like a drum.
And deep under all that noise, I could feel something else, a craving it's sharp, hungry and tempting me to do something but I just don't know what !.
I pressed my hands to my mouth, shaking my head. “No. No way. You’re not a ....”
A faint metallic scent hit my nose. I stood stiff and looked down, there was a small cut on my thumb from earlier which was barely bleeding.
But the smell… it was intoxicating.
Before I even realized it, I brought my thumb close to my lips. The taste of blood hit my tongue, and something inside me snapped awake.
Every nerve in my body lit up and heat flooded my veins. For a terrifying moment, it felt good way too good.
I dropped my hand fast, stumbling back. “Oh my God…”