Prologue
The smell of blood, at least that's what I think it is as the metallic irony smell enters my nose and forces my eyes to open. I am standing in the middle of my English class where I'd fallen asleep. The carnage surrounding me is brutal. Bodies strung along the floor, claw marks resting across scattered limbs as if to say that they are the reason the limbs were no longer attached to their bodies. I gag at the sight, but something inside me stirs, an animalistic hunger. A certain brand of bloodlust.
"Don't fight it."I am surprised to hear a voice amidst the carnage, and even more so that I hadn't noticed the source before. I turn to face the woman, my eyes a terrified sparkling blue reflecting back at me from the woman's own.
Blood drips from her face and from her vicious looking claws. Her eyes glow a vibrant silver flecked with gold and rimmed in a menacing crimson. That's when I realize that I'm staring at myself. She is me. And I am her. Right down to the fragile frame and face. Even her strawberry locks match mine, aside from the blood staining them crimson and coagulating in clumps.
"Don't fight what?"I don't realize that my voice is shaking, my heartbeat stops me from hearing anything over its thundering.
"The fangs. Don't fight them. If you do it'll only hurt worse when they come in."
What the hell is she talking about? I wonder, my mind trying to find an excuse to consider her crazy, something that seems impossible standing where I am.
I feel it as a light thrumming in my gums at first. I should listen to her, but I don't want to become a monster. I try to make them stop, but try as I might, the only thing I do is cause more pain. My knees wobble and the pain sprints through my jawline. I'm not sure if I collapse out of fear or from the pain but I do. My knees hitting the blood colored linolium with sickening snap. I scream. I cry. I can still feel the change coming on, fangs springing free from my gums forcing my two human canines free and causing blood to spill down my throat. Even though it's my own, I thirst for more.
"Doesn't it feel good? You should just accept that you're a monster. You're not human, Alyssa. You're a freak, and you're destined to hurt everyone you love. So just drink. Just accept who you are."
I move faster than I thought possible, and before I realize what I've done, the body falls to the floor and my fangs retract. I look down with a horrifying realization. The body I'd just drained was my own, and I had become the monster.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I snap awake in silence, trying to gather my barings. English. Right where I was when I fell asleep. I breathe a sigh, taking into realization that I still have twenty minutes of class left before the bell rings.
Mr. Callin still drones on at the front of the class. Dangling Participles. Fun. I'm almost tempted to find myself sleeping again, until I notice the note on my desk.
Dangling Participles aren't that entertaining. So what's up? I know somethings wrong. You should really just tell me. - Kara
I sigh, I know I can't hide it from Kara forever. She'll figure it out eventually. In fact, she's my best friend, it's probably why she'd caught on already.
Not here, Kara. Please. It's too weird....I promise I'll tell you at the house. Mom's throwing a party for you like she does every year. Happy Birthday, babe. But I'm telling you here.
She doesn't send me a response, and I know that she's mad at me. In fact, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't come to the party tonight. The bell rings and I stand from my desk, dread filling me. Kara's already angry with me. I can see it. And I realize that I'm going to have to tell her.
NO!
NO!
NO!
I have to force myself to realize that this is part of the dream. It's not real. Kara can't be angry with me. Because Kara's been dead since her birthday last year, and it's all my fault. All because of my secret.
And I'm sorry.
