Deluded (A Vampire story Part I)

Chapter 30 - Withdrawal

(Two weeks later)

"Sarah. Please wake up and have some soup."

I woke up groggy from the fever I never seemed to be cured from. I don't know how long it has been. Days seemed to just melt into one another.

The kind women in front of me sat down and held the spoon filled with hot soup. 

I took a sip and winced at the heat that burnt my tongue. 

"Is it still hot? I cooled it down for a while." 

"My tongue is still sensitive. My whole body is still sensitive. How long has it been?" 

"Almost three months. It will take time sweetheart. It takes time to heal. We had the same experience with my daughter." 

"I know you don't want to talk about it. But I would like to know more about her aunty Davis." 

She wiped a tear running down her face. 

"What would you like to know." She said as she placed the bowl of soup down at the table beside the bed. 

" How did she die?" 

She took a deep sigh. She took my hand in hers and held it tight. "She was with her friends a few nights before her death. Some of them got hold of vampires blood. Mind you we did not know what it was. And I am sure they did not know what it was either. They just wanted to get high on something. All of them took it. My daughter Sofy was the only one who survived. She ran bare foot till the house." Aunty wiped her tears and rubbed my hand seeking comfort. Then she continued.

"She was injured from head to toe. She was bleeding and hyperventilating. When we got a hold of her and we had to tie her to the bed. The high she got from the blood was powerful. But when she was going through the withdrawal that's when all hell broke lose. Her father held her down and Colton went in search for the doctor. It was too late. Sofy broke loose from her father's grasp and ran all the way up to the barn. She climbed all the way up to the roof and jumped." 

"She jumped?" I asked surprised. 

"She thought she could fly." Aunty Davis wiped her tears. 

Sofy felt the same as me. I felt I could fly when I was high on vamps blood. I had a river to save me. She did not. 

"This thing, this vile thing makes you feel like you can do whatever and survive. Only thing is the ones who take vamp's blood do not realize that they are still human. All her friends died from consuming it. They found them in different locations far away from one another. Some climbed trees and jumped. Some walked into traffic. Some even were found with cuts and bruises all over their body. Sofy was the only one who in the daze came back home. She knew she had to come back home. She wanted to come back home." The mother in front of me broke out crying. I held her close. 

"I am so sorry." Was all I could say. 

"It was a long time ago. When we saw you, it was like we got a second chance at saving Sofy." She cried as she hugged me. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My days were spent in bed. I hardly could get out. The withdrawal was painful and nothing like I have felt before. Everyday I had lot of time to think. Think about everything. I just sat there in silence and thought about everything that has happened since the accident. It was becoming more clearer by the minute. The way I was being pushed around. The way I had no choice in my life. Everything made me feel like a victim. I deserved more. I deserved better. No world was safe for me. Not the vampires or the hunters. I had to make my own decisions now. If I ever wanted to live my life for myself. I had to take matters in my hand. 

I heard a slight knock on the door. 

"You awake?" Colton peaked his head from the door to look at me. 

I nodded smiling at him.  Colton was the oldest son. Sofy's brother. He was a kind and warm person. He doesn't visit too often. Aunty Davis never allowed it. She was very careful about who visited me and when. 

I preferred it that way. I needed my privacy. I was in no state to see people. 

"I got this at the book store in town." He said as he brought an old book of Aesop's fables. 

"I thought you could read them when you are free." He said handing the book to me. "I know it's for children but I thought of you when I saw it." He said putting his head down. 

Colton was shy. He had lived his entire life in the outskirts and he farmed all his life. It was clear that his sister's death had affected him a lot. Aunty Davis said so. He had lost something close to him and when fate brought in another victim he was more than prepared to help. Colton was a tall boy of 20. Though he looked a little mature with his black rugged hair and brown eyes he was the most kind. We had made a small tradition. Every week Colton would bring me a piece of candy. He would never give it to me in person. He made sure that I got the candy through aunty when I had my meals. Now I look forward to the candy every week. The candy he chose would be different every time. The flavors were different too. 

This time it was different. 

"I got this from the market today." He said as he brought out a small bundle of brow paper and opened it. It had a bar of chocolate. "It's home made chocolate."  

"No candy today?" 

"No. It's a special day today." Colton said placing a big piece onto my hand. "It's my birthday." 

I smiled at him. "Happy birthday Colton. Thank you for this." I said as I took a bite. The bitter taste hit me as soon as I did. I spat out the chocolate into my hand and went for the glass of water on the bedside table. 

"Is it that bad?" He asked taking a bite. He had the same reaction as me. We laughed at this. 

"No wonder the lady asked me to boil it in milk." He said trying to rub the taste off his tongue using his shirt. 

"I think it's the pure chocolate without any sugar." I said looking at him. 

"I am sorry. Maybe you would like some chocolate milk then?" He asked ready to get up. 

"No it's okay stay. Let's just stick to hard candy from now onwards." I smiled at him. 

"Noted." He said placing the brown bag on the bed side table. "How are you feeling? Mum said your shivers have gone down." 

"It is still bad. But I will survive." I look at him closely. He refused to look directly into my eyes. "Colton. How did you know that Sofy consumed vampires blood?" I asked him directly. 

"How did you...? mum told you didn't she." He sighed. 

There was silence and I entertained it. 

"We didn't even know what the heck vampires was. But when Sofy and her friends had died the news was everywhere. Some people came looking for us. Some hunters. We could see from the start they were hooked up on that shit. Apparently some kids took their stash of vampire's blood and they were looking for it. When they asked if Sofy had the viles we denied it. They did not leave without a fight. When they ripped our entire house apart they told us what it was and who they were. At first we did not want to believe it. But we had seen enough to give them the benefit of the doubt. Sofy wouldn't have acted that way if it wasn't for that shitty blood. That wicked thing that took her life." He said putting his head down. 

"You miss her?" I asked him already knowing the answer. 

"Every god damn day." He said looking at me. His eyes filled with tears. "We prepared ourselves. The entire town did. We studied they ways to kill them and keep ourselves alive. One day we lived life normally and the next every kid in town was being prepared to hunt and kill vampires or the hunters. Neither of them we trusted. 

There was silence for a while. 

I took my hand and placed it on top of his. 

"Teach me. To fight. So that I won't be hunted." 

He looked at me worried but his eyes showed some determination. 

"I will."