The Vampire's Deal

Chapter Thirteen: Human

Catharine could feel herself falling in her dream. In her subconscious mind, she sat on a swing, her hands shaking from the cold chains as she stared at the fuzzy memory of Xavier.

Slipping from her seat, it seemed as if her whole dream from there was falling. As if it was forever; the sinking feeling of her gut in her chest, hair in her face, and the impending fear of hitting the ground. She could even remember wondering to herself how much longer she would fall for. It seemed like finally she would touch the ground when she watched lights around her getting closer.

That's when her eyes opened, a gasp escaping from her lips, and her blurry vision looked up at the grey light above her. A knot tightened in her core as Deja Vu was coming over her.

She felt cold and when she moved every part of her body it stung from the bitter wind around her. As she watched large white feathers fall from the sky she started to blink, her vision becoming clearer.

Instead, now what was dropping around her was snow and once she lifted herself up, she watched the flurries around her whipping in the wind. She sat on cold wet dirt and the only things around her were bare trees.

Confused, she picked herself up shivering and bundled her arms around herself. As she tried figuring out where she was and what had happened her eyes rolled over the purse she had packed the night before.

She pulled out both the shirts she had packed and put them on. As she threw the bag onto her shoulder she began to walk, changing directions feeling she was just getting herself trapped deeper. She turned away each time as she got to thicker foliage.

The snow was beginning to leave a blanket of white under her when she could hear a disturbing noise. The monstrous high pitched gargle made her shiver as she paced and her breathing became panicked when the started to get closer.

She had taken off into a sprint and she could see a black figure passing by. It was so fast it just looked like a blur passing. The cold air in her lungs stung and all she could think was to push faster as if she were trapped in a nightmare. That same feeling of not being able to run faster clouded her with fear.

Finally, tossed to the ground from the side, she was pinned. All she could see from the monster was it's large egg shaped head with one eye and mouth taking up the bottom half of its face.

As she flailed under the beast she reached into the purse and with ease, from already wearing the clothes she had packed, pulled out the knife. Only able to reach its arm she stabbed into the yellow flesh.

Its high pitched gurgle went shrill as it fell back. Still holding onto the knife, it pulled itself off the blade from its jerk. Once she had stood, it arched its hairless back on all fours and whipped its tail into her. She screamed as she was tossed over and then watched as it jumped to pin her again.

"Screw you!" she shouted to what was hopefully still an aware human inside and jammed the knife into its only eye.

She started to run again not looking back to see if it was running after her.

Through her gasped breathing she could finally hear the sound of cars and followed it till it became louder. Still running, she climbed up a steep hill and looked out onto the highway. Cars sped by, but very little traffic was on the road.

As she collapsed onto the chain-link fence of the highway, she tried to control her breathing but was finding it hard through the burning pain in her leg. Her break was short when she could hear more unnatural sounds and started to walk.

Following the highway, she was led back into the city, where things got more chilling.

The vehicles that did drive around sped well over the limit and businesses were closed. Walking through the barren streets she was left confused on when everything had gotten so bad. She was left alone with the realization that she had helped the man- monster -create this.