The 16 Candles Vampire Hunters

Chapter 8 Migraine

10-14-05 3:18 pm

Pete's POV

The light burned my eyes, reaching past my cornias to the back of my head. I didn't know what was going on, only that my head was screaming in retaliation to every beam of light to go away. It hadn't been this bad for months.

It was only a matter of time before someone noticed my absence and would come looking for me. The woods probably wasn't the best place to hide, seeing that even the slightest movement made a leaf crackle and my head to split. It wouldn't be that heard to find me either.

I've been dealing with this for 4 days, the headache getting progressively worse. I was too scared to say anything, but now I'm pretty sure I didn't have a choice. Joe was already on to something. I've been know to zone out during conversations, but it happens more frequently. I've head headaches. I've had the worst of the worst of hangover migraines, but this was different. It wasn't right. It was deep in the center of my skull. Something was wrong and it was going to kill me.

I didn't know who to tell. If I said anything it would set off a chain reaction of worry. We would pack up and leave immediately, and I knew better than anyone it wasn't safe to go back just yet. They surely wouldn't have forgotten about our little scuffle. They are ready for us at any minute.

I heard a familiar crunch and crackle of leaves. There was someone walking over. Under different circumstances I would've been able to tell who it was by the way they walked, but instead of being able to focus on the step pattern I only felt nails being driven into my skull.

"Pete?" My ears started ringing at the sound of Patrick's clear voice. "Pete?" he asked again, this time louder. He was getting closer, I could hear it; I could smell it. His scent. This was bad. The worst thing that could've possibly happen. I willed him to go away, focusing every cell on trying to get him to turn back,  but it wasn't working. Forcing myself to get up, I started sprinting in the opposite direction.

I didn't know this forest as well as the others. Whilst everyone was going on little walks to pass the time, I stayed inside writing.

My heart couldn't keep up. My legs gave way and left me a crumpled up ball on the forest floor. I didn't even think I made it far enough away to make a difference. The footsteps got faster, running after me.

"Pete, where are you?" Blood rushed in my ears. Acid built up in my stomach. Patrick's smell reached my nose again, sweet, burning, and tempting. If I had been a real vampire I wouldn't have got tired. My heart would have already stopped. Maybe I could...

I gripped my abdomen trying to control the feeling of my insides tearing themselves apart. You know what you want. It wasn't even my voice taunting my thoughts, but Brendon's. "Nononono. No!No!" I screamed the internal voice away by letting out mine. My hands traveled up to my head, gripping my hair and covering my ears. The crunching stopped, but the smell was stronger, unbearably close. I opened my eyes but could only see bright lights. A hand rested on my shoulder. I shuddered and tried to pull away. "Pete?"

"Go away!" I screached. He didn't. Of course he didn't. Kind Patrick, caring Patrick, too fucking nice at the wrong time, I thought bitterly. "What's wrong? Pete, please answer." I bit the inside of my cheeks suppressing every unfamiliar primal urge to attack. This wasn't me at all.

His neck was right there.

"Go away!" I didn't recognize my own voice. It was deep, gravelly, and vicious. He pulled his hand away quickly. "I'm going to go get the oth-"

"No!" I snapped quickly. This was too much. 5 others, was unthinkable. "What can I do?" he asked quietly. My resolve to carry on was strong. I couldn't  let them worry. I just couldn't. I was enough trouble as it was. An unwanted burden. I rolled onto my hands and knees. Slowly, I raised myself up to my feet. "Nothing." I choked. Bile rose in my throat, vision blurred and everything spun.  "Pete, what's going on?" he took a step toward me. Mistake.

"I don't want to hurt you." My voice wavered. It was pleading for him not to take one more step. I could hear his heart beat. I could hear the blood flowing in his veins. He was scared. I was scaring him.  "I'm sorr-" I choked on my words and vomit. The sun broke through the clouds, bursting every ounce of my control. Black spots formed on the edges of my vision and the world faded away into blissful nothing.

~~~

I couldn't move. No matter how hard I tried to lift a finger I couldn't.  The voices I heard were garbled. Under water. Move. I had to move.

Call him.

Was I mishearing things? What's going on? I had a moment of lucid reality and suddenly it was gone leaving me more disoriented then before. Did I actually hear someone say "Call him" or was I dreaming. Am I dreaming?

You kn... We...ant

I needed to wake up. I needed to know what the hell was going on. Burning throat, splitting migraine, and twisted stomach. Nothing was changing. I am not in the land of dreams but why can't I move? Besides the voices I heard something else, but I couldn't place it. It was like a motor or something, an electric hum. I listened for awhile and concluded we were in the car, no music. Something was wrong.

We...ha... to.

My consciousness was fleeting. I knew was putting too much of a strain on myself. I needed to know who they were going to call, but I couldn't focus any longer.

I heard shuffling as someone pulled out their phone. It rang a few times and then picked up. It was Devin calling.

Bren.... we ..nee...help...please.

The please was the only thing I heard clearly. It was desperate and sad. I needed to wake up and let them know I was not completely dead.

No...at..ant...be..YOU...ASTARD

I needed to know. But I couldn't. I let myself give up embracing the dark like a hug.

~~~

My eyes flickered opened, and was attacked by bright lights, but it was all different. I wasn't hurting. All of my surroundings were unfamiliar. I blinked a few times, everything seeming to go in slow motion. I looked around a bit and immediately noticed a bag of blood connected to a needle piercing my wrist.

I thoughtlessly yanked the needle free, ignoring the sharp pain and the free flowing blood pouring from the bag. The intoxicatingly sweet scent reeked from the crimson fluid, taunting me mercilessly.

A lock clicked. Unfamiliar footsteps approached. "Hello." Purred an unfamiliar mellifluous voice. "I presume you are feeling much better." The owner of the voice, an unknown woman, walked over to me cautiously, ready for any unexpected attacks. She tisked disapprovingly staring at my left arm. "Who are you?" I questioned. I put up a wall, not allowing any hint I was scared or nervous to slip through.

"Keegan."  Whoever this mystery woman was she was striking to say the least. Pale skin, short auburn hair, naturally turned up lips, and two shining jade eyes. She almost looked friendly, but something about her intent glare put me off.

"That doesn't answer much." I replied, a bit of my sarcasm returning. She smiled crookedly and revealed a pair of white fangs. "How about that?" She paused  a moment and looked up at me from under her long lashes, "I showed you mine, now let's see yours." She had a natural suggestive tone to her voice. Under any other circumstance I would've been able to swiftly come up with something witty to say and top it with a smile but now all I could do was pray that the vampiress standing across from me couldn't see the blood rush to my face.

"Where am I?" I interrogated. There were many questions bubbling, waiting to be asked. How much information would Keegan reveal? I should've been able to do some level of deduction but my brain wasn't being completely functional. Then a thought hit me. None of the others were here. Were they safe? Could they already be dead? It was all my fault. "Where are the others?" I demanded.

"Brendon was right about you." The mention of his name turned my blood to ice. "Always caring more about your little human friends than yourself." Heat rushed to my face in rage. "Where are they?!"

"Follow me."

"Why should I?" She raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to, but if you are so concerned about the well being of your friends, you would."

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